


Ocean Eyes

by PrincessBlowpop



Category: Voltron: Legendary Defender
Genre: Anal Fingering, Anal Sex, Bad Flirting, Bad Nicknames, Blow Jobs, Cheating, College AU, Daddy Kink, Established Relationship, Fighting, Friends With Benefits, Hand & Finger Kink, Hand Jobs, Happy Ending, I'm so sorry, Kinda, Language Kink, Making Up, Multi, Pining, Polyamory, Threesome, Threesome - M/M/M, ass eating, but I swear I wrote it for the plot, lance is a homewrecker, lots of badly written sex, lots of klance for some reason, sheith at the beginning, shklance end game, super sappy apologies, this is the dirtiest thing I've ever written
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2018-07-28
Updated: 2018-07-28
Packaged: 2019-06-17 10:56:27
Rating: Explicit
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 1
Words: 29,079
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/15459828
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/PrincessBlowpop/pseuds/PrincessBlowpop
Summary: When Keith and Shiro get into a fight after dating for over a year, and Keith sleeps with Lance in his anger. And then doesn't stop sleeping with Lance.





	Ocean Eyes

**Author's Note:**

> Disclaimer: I don't condone cheating outside of this fanfic; it usually never goes this well. Please never cheat on someone.

To say they were doomed from the start just wasn’t true, but the fact that the fight was long coming was undeniable. Shiro and Keith had been dating for almost a year now, and although it was true that they both deeply loved and cared for each other, there was no denying that they were both in extremely different places in their life, and had completely different perspectives and mindsets because of that. So, although the fight seemed like it started from something small, it was actually due to a multitude of small tensions that had been accumulating over the course of their relationship. And, even with his composure of steel and endless patience, Shiro finally cracked.

“Keith, why didn’t you do the dishes? It was your night.” Shiro asked from the kitchen. He had just come home from a late night of work, and the stress and exhaustion was heavy in his voice. Shiro was a full time grad student and TA, worked an unpaid internship after school, and also tutored on the side for extra money. To say he stretched himself pretty thin was an understatement, but if anyone could do it while also actively hitting the gym, eating healthy, and maintaining a proper sleep schedule, it was Shiro. But right now it was Friday night, and he was exhausted, and seeing the pile of dirty dishes in the sink was just rubbing him the wrong way.

“Sorry, I had two tests today and I’m super tired.” Keith replied casually from the couch where he was freshly bathed in his pajamas and watching one of those old conspiracy theory documentaries on aliens or something. Keith was an undergrad student at the same university, and, while he did overwork himself at his shitty part time job and worried Shiro relentlessly because of it, that was basically the extent of his responsibility.

“We’re all pretty stressed out. That’s not an excuse to not maintain your responsibilities in this house.” Shiro said, his voice coming out more stern than he was hoping it would. This caught Keith’s attention, and he finally looked over the back of the couch at his boyfriend across the small apartment.

“Oh, do not use your dad voice on me. I’m not in the mood for a lecture.” Keith complained, and that really pushed Shiro’s buttons. He knew Keith had self deprecating tendencies and therefore didn’t prioritize taking care of himself or his living space; it was something they had talked about before moving in together. However, he had promised to try for Shiro, but Keith just _wasn’t_ trying.

“Maybe if you didn’t act like a child I wouldn’t have to.” Shiro argued, and his voice was cold, colder than Keith had ever heard it before, and it made him tense up.

“Shiro, what is going on? It’s just some fucking dishes.” Keith wondered, confused as to where this sudden outburst was coming from.

“It’s not just these dishes, it’s the fact that I _always_ do the dishes, and clean the apartment, and do the grocery shopping, and just everything.” Shiro listed off, his voice getting angrier with every word.

“That’s not fair, you never even asked me to do that other stuff!” Keith exclaimed, getting frustrated at all of these accusations when all he wanted was to cuddle and relax and watch a damn movie like they did every Friday night.

“Yeah, but you never even care or try and help! I get so worried whenever you overwork yourself, meanwhile I’m over here on the verge of death from stress alone and you just don’t even _care._ ” Shiro explained, and suddenly it clicked to Keith that this was part of a much bigger issue, an issue he wasn’t entirely sure could be resolved as easily as Shiro was implying.

“Shiro, you know I’m not an emotional person in general. I can’t just suddenly be emotionally available whenever you want me to.” Keith said, his voice much more serious now. Shiro knew about Keith’s childhood emotional abuse and resulting anxiety issues that he was constantly battling with, and he thought Shiro loved him even with those flaws. Well he _thought_ he did, but apparently Shiro didn’t understand what he had signed up for.

“Yeah, I get that, but you’re not even trying to get better. I’m trying to be patient and understanding, but you’re not doing anything.” Shiro accused, his tone still overflowing with pent up frustration.

“And, what am I supposed to do, Shiro? It’s not a switch I can just turn on and off whenever I want!” And he realized his voice had come out a lot louder than he was expecting, but his throat was clenching up and his eyes were stinging, and this could not be happening.

“Well, nothing’s stopping you from getting off the couch and doing the damn dishes when I’ve had a late night!” And now Shiro was yelling too, and damn did that hurt because Keith had never heard him raise his voice at anyone before. Anyone except for Keith now.

“Can you shut up about the fucking dishes!” Keith screamed back and now he really was crying and his voice cracked but he didn't care. He was just so mad and so upset.

Shiro opened his mouth to respond but the doorknob started to rattle and they both whipped their heads around to stare at it, frozen to the spot as they were suddenly torn out of their bubble. Keith’s mind took about two seconds to remember who they had invited over for movie night before the door swung open and a familiar figure was framed in the doorway.

“Hello! And, how is my favorite couple in the universe?” Lance announced as he let himself into the small apartment, and his timing could not have possibly been worse. He froze after only taking a couple steps, finally reading the tension in the room, and his expression immediately shifted to extremely uncomfortable. “Uh… did I interrupt something? ‘Cause I can just go, it’s no big deal.” Lance rambled, not sure how to act in the current situation.

“It’s fine.” Keith responded with a scowl, not tearing his eyes away from Shiro’s gaze even though the words were directed at Lance. “I don’t want to stay here any longer anyway.” He spit out before picking himself off the couch, pajamas and slippers and all, and dragged Lance out of the apartment with him, slamming the door behind them.

“Dude, what just happened?” Lance asked once the door was closed. Keith was still very visibly angry, but he relaxed slightly once he left the tense space, and led the way to Lance and Hunk’s apartment down the hall.

“We fought. It’s no big deal. I just need some time to clear my head.” Keith explained, vague and blunt like always. Lance was definitely not satisfied with the response, but he decided not to push it and risk the man getting mad at him as well.

The door was unlocked and they walked into the smaller apartment. Lance and Hunk were both undergraduate students and it was their first year out of the dorms, so their budget was slightly smaller than Keith and Shiro’s, but luckily they all managed to live on the same floor. Hunk was in the kitchen sauteing something on the stove, even with their broke asses Hunk always managed to scrape some good recipes together, and Pidge was sitting on one of the stools across from him typing something on her laptop. Pidge was a freshman, two years younger than them and still living in the dorms, but apparently smart enough to be in Hunk’s already advanced 400 Physics class. He brought her home at the beginning of the semester to work on an assignment, and she was so adorable Lance begged them to keep her.

“Did movie night get cancelled?” Hunk asked, being the first one to notice them walk in.

“You could say that.” Keith responded, his tone still a little harsh. Hunk just shot them a confused look, Pidge also turning around to see what was going on.

“I didn’t think it was possible… but they got into a fight.” Lance explained, his tone implying that he could barely believe it himself.

“You fought? With _Shiro_?” Pidge questioned, reiterating what they were all already wondering. Shiro was the oldest in the friend group, the easiest to get along with, and the most patient and understanding person they’ve ever met. What could Keith have possibly done to piss him off? The man was nice to telemarketers for God’s sake.

“Why does everyone think he’s perfect? He has flaws just like everyone else.” Keith scoffed, taking the seat next to Pidge with the sowl still plastered on his face.

“Yeah, if being too perfect is a flaw.” Hunk chipped in.

“Last time I checked, you thought he was perfect and flawless too.” Lance interjected before Keith could snap at Hunk’s comment. “And by that I mean like, yesterday.”

“Can we just stop talking about this? I need time to think about what to do.” Keith said, and they all quieted down. And then, after the silence got awkward enough, they all glanced at Lance for an escape, him being the notorious loudmouth of the friend group.

“So, what are you making Hunk?” Lance piped up, taking the cue.

“Salmon! It was on sale at the supermarket and I found this new way to prepare it online that I really wanted to try out…” and they all listened passively as Hunk rambled on about the new dish, his mindless chattering filling the awkward silence enough to offer a small relief. Pidge went back to typing up a program on her laptop, Lance pulled out his phone and scrolled through social media, and Keith just stared at the bubbling oil sizzling and popping in the hot pan. What _was_ he going to do?

* * *

 

Keith and Lance had gone to highschool together. They weren’t exactly friends per se, but they knew of each other. It wasn’t until their senior year that they bonded after their algebra teacher pulled them both aside to let them know they were both on track to failing the class. After that they had to go into tutoring sessions with her after school twice a week, and Lance ended up driving Keith home every time since he didn’t have his own car. Lance wouldn’t deny that he had found Keith extremely attractive at the time, and almost took their cute bantering for flirting at first. But, Keith never seemed to pick up on any of his passes, and Lance took that as a polite rejection like everyone else, and stopped his advances. He would be lying if he said his heart didn’t jump a little when Keith had asked to room with him when they found out they were both going to the same university, but Shiro and Keith hit it off right at the beginning and were dating not long after that. Lance handled rejection often enough to not be bothered too much by it however, and he liked having Keith as a friend more than nothing anyway.

The next day after the fight Keith spent moping in Lance’s bed. Keith had slept on the couch, but wanted to be alone during the day, so Lance sacrificed his room for the cause. Along with his laptop, and his clothes, and his charger. Thank God Keith had taken his phone with him the night before, because that was one thing Lance didn’t think he could part with. Lance left him alone that night and took the couch, leaving Keith locked up in the room for two days in a row. Monday morning classes started again, and Lance knocked on the door to make sure he was up, but Keith just mumbled a grumpy “‘m not going,” and that’s when Lance remembered that Mondays they had the class that Shiro TAs for.

“Okay. Text me if you need anything.” He called through the door before leaving, but he knew he couldn’t let this go on for much longer.

* * *

 

Keith wasn’t surprised when he heard a knock on his door much later that day. He knew he could only hide in here for so long. But, just because he acknowledged that, doesn’t mean he agreed to it, or was ready for it at all.

“Can I come in?” It was Lance. Out of everyone, he was glad it was Lance at least.

“Yeah.” He grumbled back, but pulled the sheets further around him as if he could somehow hide behind them and escape Lance’s notice.

“Damn, you look wrecked.” Lance pointed out when he walked in, closing the door behind him. “Also, it smells in here. Have you showered at all?”

Keith just grumbled a non coherent reply, refusing to make eye contact with his friend.

“Come on, lets freshen you up. I miss pretty Keith.” Lance announced with a wink. Keith did a second take at how casually Lance had just called him pretty, but he didn’t have time to process it before the duvet was pulled off of him and he yelped at being suddenly exposed to the cold apartment air. “Up! Let’s go.” Lance ordered, and Keith grumbled some more but complied, pushing himself off the bed.

Lance rummaged around the drawers before producing a towel and fresh pair of clothes and ushering the boy into the bathroom across the hall. When Keith was done, he did feel a lot better, like he had washed some of his anger and frustration away along with the dirt and germs. Lance’s clothes were a little baggy on him, but they were so comfortable that he didn’t mind. When he walked back into the bedroom, Lance had opened the windows to air out the room, changed the sheets, and picked up all of the trash and dirty dishes that had accumulated over the weekend. He had to stop letting people take care of him like this.

Lance looked up from the pillow he was fluffing and even Keith noticed the slight blush that bloomed when he caught sight of him in the doorway.

“What?” Keith couldn’t help but ask, fidgeting under the intense gaze.

“Nothing, it’s just that you look so cute in my clothes. I didn’t realize.” Lance acknowledged, and suddenly Keith was blushing as well. He didn’t understand why Lance was talking to him like this. It almost reminded him of high school when Lance had a crush on him.

Wait.

Was Lance _flirting_ with him?

Now Keith was definitely blushing up to his ears, his eyes wide like a deer caught in the headlights. He was used to Lance flirting, he flirted with literally anything that moved, so Keith picked up on the tone easily. But, it hadn’t been directed at him in years. Not since back when he had barely known Lance and just thought that that was his normal tone of voice. He wasn’t sure what to do with this realization, or more importantly how to act around Lance with the thought in his mind. Was Lance seriously taking him and Shiro’s fight as an opportunity to _flirt_ with him?

“I got you a copy of the notes and homework from class today.” Lance continued casually, like Keith’s mind wasn’t short circuiting in front of him right now. He picked up a stack of papers from the nightstand and crossed the room to hand them to Keith, and then placed a comforting hand on Keith’s shoulder, but he only tensed up. “I couldn’t do anything about your writing class though, sorry.” He shrugged.

Keith was frozen to the spot, the papers in his right hand, and Lance’s hand on his left shoulder holding him down. In front of him, Lance was only wearing a tanktop even though it was fairly cold outside. His broad chest was on display, along with smooth, tan skin curving over the muscles in his toned arms and protruding collarbones.

It was true that he thought Lance was attractive, Shiro had even agreed with him about it when he had told him about how he and Lance had met. But, in high school, he just did not have the emotional capacity to handle a relationship and ended up denying every one of Lance’s advances. In all honesty, he probably still wouldn’t be able to handle a relationship if it wasn’t for Shiro. But now even Shiro didn’t want to be with him anymore.

“I think we should talk, buddy.” Lance suggested as if he had heard his thoughts, giving his shoulder a gentle squeeze. Keith hadn’t accidentally said any of that outloud, had he?

Lance turned back to the bed and sat on it’s edge, patting the spot next to him for Keith to join him. Keith didn’t want to talk, hated talking about his feelings, but he also didn’t want to keep living like this. And in that moment, reflecting on all his past memories of Lance and all the things they had gone through together, he suddenly valued his opinion more than ever before, and was desperate to hear what he had to say.

He made his way over to the bed and plopped down, staring at the ground, his hands, the bedsheets, anything other than Lance’s face. Just because he agreed to this, doesn’t mean he was entirely comfortable with it.

“So, tell me what’s on your mind, Keithy.” Lance said, and Keith didn’t even flinch at the nickname. It was only one of many that he was used to by now.

“You know, just dying slowly, but what’s new.” Keith mumbled, wondering why Lance was asking such an obvious question.

“Yeah, but like, how do you feel?” Lance asked, and Keith almost snorted at how cliche it sounded. Still, he swallowed down his pride and did his best to answer.

“I don’t know… angry, and dumb, and just pathetic.” Keith started rambling, finally trying to put everything he’s been feeling into words. “Like I’m just so mad. Because, I told him about all this personal stuff and he said it was fine but in the end it was too much. He couldn’t handle it. And I’m so mad because I feel like I got my hopes up for nothing. Like I should’ve known this was going to happen.” And Keith was whispering by the end, silenced by a sudden knot that was twisting in his chest. Lance put a comforting hand on his thigh, and Keith sucked in a breath as he remembered his thoughts from earlier. And for a moment, he was distracted from his emotions enough that the knot loosened slightly.

“Listen buddy, you have all right to be mad and hurt and upset, okay? Your feelings are valid and you’re allowed to cope however you want.” The words surprised him, and Keith finally glanced up to look at the man in front of him. His eyes were a deep blue, and complimented his light blue shirt perfectly, and the freckles that dusted his nose reminded him of the stars he used to watch as a little kid. More than anything though, Lance’s lips looked full and red, almost swollen like he had just been kissed, and he licked them nervously in between his words. Had they always been so prominent like that?

“But, you can’t keep avoiding Shiro.” Lance continued, and the reminder of the man felt like a swing to the gut, shattering the small distraction that sitting here with Lance was allowing him. “You have to acknowledge that he’s upset too, and that you both messed up. You’re going to have to apologize to him, dude.”

And suddenly Keith was mad, because why did he have to apologize when Shiro was the one who had started the fight in the first place? And he was the one who had walked away from Keith, had given up on him when things had gotten too tough. He had been feeding him promises and encouragements that all turned out to be empty lies in the end. And Shiro was still in the apartment living his life while Keith was forced to hide out here and skip class. It just wasn’t fair! And as immature as that sounded, his mind would take any excuse if it meant avoiding confrontation and therefore any chance of rejection or more pain.

“That’s bullshit! Why should I have to be the one that apologizes?” Keith argued, and he could physically feel his walls building up. He was done with this conversation, was willing to do anything just to make it stop. And then Lance squeezed his thigh in a reassuring gesture, but Keith was just reminded of the flirting. And Keith not only wanted Lance to shut up and this conversation to be over, but he also wanted a distraction from all the pain and anger. More than anything though, he wanted to hurt Shiro. He wouldn’t admit to it out loud, but he wanted to hurt Shiro the way that Shiro had hurt him. Or at least show him that he didn’t need him anymore, if they were truly broken up. And in his rage, he acted on his impulses.

“That’s not-” Lance was cut off by Keith’s mouth colliding with his, fueled with all of his anger and hurt and every emotion in between. Lance froze up at first, his hand tensing on Keith’s thigh, but Keith kept pushing, and eventually Lance started to respond. And that was good enough for Keith. He pushed Lance back on the bed, and their lips were pulled apart at the sudden movement.

“Keith, oh my god.” Lance gaped, sprawled out underneath him on the mattress. “Oh my God.”

“Do you want this or not?” Keith asked a little breathless, hovering above him on all fours.

“What about Shiro and-” Lance began but was cut off by Keith leaning back so he was straddling the other man’s lap and effectively pulling off his shirt and tossing it on the floor. Now Lance was the one short circuiting as his eyes trailed down Keith’s toned chest, defined abs, strong arms, and so much skin that Lance had wanted to touch for so long. A flame that he thought he had put out a long time ago was now lighting an inferno in his chest. He only managed to squeak.

Lance looked like he needed a little more convincing so Keith rolled his hips down into Lance’s lap, and the other man threw his head back, biting his lip to suppress a moan. When he recovered and looked back at Keith, he looked absolutely wrecked, physically and emotionally.

“Fuck, yes, Keith. I want this. I’ve wanted this for-” and Keith cut him off with another kiss, this one deeper and hungrier, like Keith was searching for something, some feeling. Somewhere in the back of his mind, Lance was aware of the fact that he was very much being used by Keith at the moment for any number of reasons, but he just didn’t care. He wanted this so bad. Had wanted this so bad. He would take whatever he could get.

Kissing Lance was so much different than Shiro. Shiro handled Keith like he was a fragile porcelain doll that could shatter at any moment. He held Keith gently, kissed him softly. When they had sex it always started slow, Shiro taking his time and not skipping any steps, always putting Keith’s interests and comfort first. And it became a sort of routine in a way. They found a method that worked for them, and repeated it whenever necessary.

Kissing Lance was different. It was hungry and rough, like waves of passion and pure lust crashing against him over and over again. It was harsh and aggressive, like fire and ice colliding together and swirling around them in a giant storm, an explosion of heat and sensitivity every time they touched. It was hot and needy, hands roaming, mouths sucking, teeth biting. It was loud and dirty, lighting a fire in Keith that he didn’t know had been hidden inside of him, and it sucked all of the oxygen from him until he was gasping for air. Lance didn’t hold back. He pulled on Keith’s hair, dragged his nails down his back, and bit every inch of Keith’s skin that he got close enough too. And Keith didn’t think he would ever be able to call Lance loud again, because the noises he was making right now could never compare. If anyone heard them, Keith was sure they would sound like animals, but it all felt so good he couldn’t bring himself to care.

He didn’t mean to have sex with Lance, at least that wasn’t his long term objective when he had first kissed him. He wasn’t sure exactly what he had been hoping for, to be honest. He wasn’t even sure Lance would go along with it at first. But everything flowed so naturally, their bodies fit together so perfectly, and everything Lance did felt so good that he couldn’t deny it. Every time their bodies touched, heat sizzled on their skin, and Lance’s long fingers managed to reach places inside of him he hadn’t even considered a possibility. It was hot, and raw, and savage and the closest he had ever gotten to someone literally fucking the life out of him.

When he finally came he saw white. He bit his fist to keep from actually screaming as his thighs spasmed underneath him and he shot out all over Lance’s chest. Lance only needed a couple more thrusts before he was gone too. His grip tightened on Keith’s hips as he sputtered out, and Keith didn’t care that they were probably going to leave bruises, as he came with a jumble of non coherent words that Keith wasn’t even sure was English.

Once he was finally done, Keith let himself collapse on top of him. They were both panting as they came down from the high, the cold of the room hitting them as their bodies cooled down. His thighs were burning, his ass throbbing, and everything was just aching, and he had never felt so _exhausted_ after sex.

“Holy fuck.” He heard Lance breathe into his ear, mirroring his own thoughts, and the warm air sent shivers down his spine.

“What?” He mumbled his eyes falling closed. He had never been touched like that before, been fucked like that before, had never come so hard before. It was all entirely new and good and he wanted to do it again, if his body wasn’t completely worn out. It had quite easily been the best sex of his life.

“That was the best sex of my life.” Lance whispered, and Keith couldn’t help but chuckle that they were at least both thinking the same thing. “Why have we never done that before?”

“First time for everything.” Keith teased, finally rolling off of Lance and onto the mattress so they were lying side by side, their shoulders brushing. The sudden movement caused Lance to slip out from inside him suddenly, and he flinched at the uncomfortable feeling. Now that his adrenaline wasn’t pumping anymore, his pain receptors were back on, and he was feeling the aftermath of everything that they had just done. He still couldn’t bring himself to regret it though.

“Holy shit dude. You hit my face” Lance said, and Keith managed to find the energy to turn his head and face the other man. Low and behold there was a streak of white crossing his cheek, standing out starkly against his tan skin. “Damn, that’s some distance.”

“Oh my God, shut up.” Keith complained, burying his head into the pillow to hide the feeling of embarrassment at how hard he had come. He was so tired, he was fighting just to keep his eyelids open, and he wanted nothing more than to just go to sleep. Lance seemed to notice because he didn’t say anything else.

Even though he was also pretty tired, Lance had slightly higher hygiene standards, and forced himself out of bed. He walked to the bathroom across the hallway completely naked and grabbed a towel, and silently thanked God that no one had come home yet because the door to the bedroom had been wide open. Not that it would have made much of a difference considering how incredibly loud they were being, but visuals would’ve just made a situation like that astronomically worse.

He took a second to clean himself up before wetting the towel and bringing it back to the bedroom, making sure to close and lock the door this time, and then also cleaned Keith off who was already knocked out. For a second he considered crashing on the couch, but staring down at Keith’s sleeping face, he wanted nothing more then to curl up around him and hold him close. He wanted Keith to remember this in the morning, remember _him_ , and not be able to pretend like it didn’t happen.

Making a decision, he pulled up the covers and slid in next to Keith on the mattress. He wanted to give him some space, knowing Keith had issues with intimacy, but the boy immediately responded to his presence through his sleepy haze. A hand suddenly shot out and pulled Lance closer to him, reflexively cuddling up next to the warm body. He reminded Lance of a cat for a moment, and he smiled slightly as Keith nuzzled his face further into the crook of his neck. Keith’s hair smelled like Lance’s strawberry shampoo and it was endearing in an unexplainable way, causing his chest to warm up and his heart to beat a little faster.

Yes, he had liked Keith for a really long time. Yes, he had thought he was over it, and was now realizing that he was completely not. And yes, the conditions weren’t perfect and probably would have foreseeable consequences in the near future. But, in the moment, none of that really mattered. Because he was cuddling with Keith in his bed after mind blowing sex in some trans-reality where normal laws of nature don’t apply and time and other social constructs don’t exist. And, for just this short time, it was just him and Keith and his pounding heart. He tried to stay awake to just live in the moment for as long as possible, but eventually sleep pulled him away completely.

* * *

 The next morning Keith blinked his eyes open when a ray of sunlight fell across his face. He was warm, incredibly warm, and it took him a moment to realize it was because he was pressed up against a sleeping body. A naked body. He sucked in a breath, about to go into a full blown panic, before everything from the previous night rushed back to him all at once. Lance. The flirting. The kissing. The _amazing_ sex. Everything. He must of fallen asleep without realizing it.

But that couldn’t be right. He hadn’t been able to sleep the past two nights because he had been so anxious after the fight with Shiro. And that’s when Keith realized that from the moment he had kissed Lance to right about now, he hadn’t thought about Shiro once. It was the longest time he had been able to not think about the other man since their fight. And suddenly, that familiar knot twisting and tightening in his chest was back again.

“Good morning.” Lance mumbled, stirring Keith out of his thoughts. His breath was warm against his ear, and his voice low and rough, and it sent shivers down his spine. He remembered how that voice sounded when it was moaning his name the night before, how hot that breath was when it was panting in between them, gasping into his mouth.

“Someone’s excited.” Lance teased, and Keith tensed up wondering how he could have possibly known what he was thinking. But then Lance shifted his thigh so it brushed against his dick under the covers and Keith hissed at the sensitivity. He was hard. Rock hard.

He scrambled to try and explain himself, assuming it must’ve been from something he dreamt about but couldn’t remember anymore, but Lance was already moving to help him. His warm hand wrapped around him and already Keith was moaning, his hips twitching at just that contact. Then, Lance started to stroke him, slow and lazy and Keith was practically writhing underneath him, his body begging for the roughness from the night before but the movement just teasing him instead.

“Lance, please.” And oh my God, he couldn’t believe he was actually begging right now, but the words were tumbling out involuntarily, his body completely betraying him.

“Please what?” Lance asked, smugly, and Keith swore he was going to get back at him for this one day. But right now he needed this, he needed Lance to-

“Fuck me. Plase, Lance.” He pleaded, his voice strained as he tried to calm his body against the teasing strokes.

“No way, mullet. It’s my turn.” And Keith froze, his mind the equivalent of a loading bar as he attempted to process what Lance was implying.

“What?” Keith stuttered, wondering if his brain had also just completely given out on him as well.

“It’s my turn to get fucked. And you’re already rock hard anyway so it makes sense.” he teased and he was already grabbing the lube from the drawer.

Keith sat in shock for a moment. In all his time with Shiro, the only person he had ever had sex with before last night, he had never topped. Not because they were particularly against the idea, but just because it didn’t fit into the routine they had established. And Keith didn’t particularly care one way or the other, and Shiro had never brought it up either.

But now, lying here and watching Lance finger himself, his face scrunching up, his muscles tensing and contracting, and moans tumbling out between his lips, he wanted it so fucking bad. It was like a fire had erupted in his chest, another sexual desire that Lance had awoken inside of him, and his dick twitched in anticipation. It was so dirty watching Lance touch himself like this, but it was also so hot, and Keith couldn’t help but give himself a couple of strokes just to quell the itch.

It was a little awkward at first to get into position because he wasn’t entirely sure how things worked from this perspective, but once he did he thrust in all at once. And with that single motion, it was like a spark had been lit between them again, and they were back to the night before. It was rough, and needy, and so hot and Keith was seeing stars. For a split second an image of Lance’s smiling face crossed through his mind, cute and innocent, and those freckles that reminded him of constellations dusting his face. But this was just lust, he reminded himself, this was raw, animalistic pleasure, and he changed his angle slightly before speeding up. And Lance fell apart beneath him as Keith finally found his prostate, and hit it over and over again, the sound of skin hitting skin mixing with Lance’s incoherent rambling filling the room. It was so obscene but it just added to Keith’s arousal, and he dragged his nails down Lance’s back just to try to center himself.

Lance could only take that direct contact for so long before he finally came with a shout, his hips stuttering out and his ass clutching around Keith’s dick. It was hot and tight and all too much and soon his hips gave out, all sense of rhythm lost as he finally came and Lance rode him through it.

When he was done, he collapsed onto the bed panting, a film of sweat covering his body. His muscles that were already sore from the previous night were now burning, protesting the sudden exertion. With the lustful haze lifting, and the adrenaline draining out, his mind was finally clear enough to process what had just happened.

He had just had sex with Lance _twice_. The first time could’ve been chalked up to a lot of things, especially because of the mental state he had been in at the time. But, there was no excuse for the second time other than the fact that he just wanted to. He completely and wholeheartedly had just had sex with Lance for no other reason than sheer pleasure. And, even worse, he didn’t want it to stop, was actually terrified that they might have to stop once they left this room and realized the reality of what they were doing.

And there was still Shiro. Shiro, the man that he actually loved and cared about and that was probably sitting in the apartment across the hall worrying about him back. Fucking Lance had at least one upside, beside the mind blowing sex part, because it gave him a break from reality and cleared his head enough for him to realize what a complete idiot he was. How much of an asshole he had been by taking advantage of Shiro’s kindness that way, how incredibly lucky he was just to have him in his life at all, and also how much of an idiot he would be if he let him slip away so easily.

He also realized something a little bit not so great. Even though him and Shiro did get into a really bad fight, they had never officially broken up, so what Keith was doing right now with Lance was just flat out cheating and there was literally no excuse for it. If he had fucked up before just by not doing the dishes, then he had completely and utterly fucked up by sleeping with Lance _twice._ Shiro would never forgive him if he found out, and he would have all right not to. That could easily be the end of their relationship, friendship, and just any possibility of any casual relationship with Shiro ever again.

But sex with Lance was so good, so different from anything Shiro could ever give him, he wasn’t sure he could give it up. He didn’t trust himself to resist the temptation if the opportunity ever presented itself again. And, while logically he knew that emotional and intimate connections between people were much more deeper and important than anything lust could ever provide, the sex was just so _fucking_ good. He felt pathetic thinking it, but he was honestly conflicted. Now that he had a taste, he just wanted _more_.

“What are you thinking about, samurai?” And Keith couldn’t help but smile a little. That was his favorite out of all of the nicknames Lance had given him over the years, just because of a dumb party trick he could do with knives, and he knew Lance was only using it because he could tell Keith was upset.

Keith propped himself up on his elbows to get a proper look at Lance, and damn if he thought he looked hot last night, nothing compared to how he looked in the morning like this, basking in the afterglow of sex. Lance was made for the sunlight, the rays flooding in from the window caught on his dark curls and danced across his tan skin until he was practically glowing, embodying a personification of the sun itself. In Lance he could see the sun, the stars, the moon, and the entire universe, infinite lengths of unexplored galaxies and it took his breath away.

“What?” Lance wondered, tilting his head obliviously and smiling a little, and it was almost blinding.

“Nothing.” Keith finally replied, pulling his eyes away and falling back onto the mattress to try and hide his slight blush. He wasn’t sure what had just happened. He had known Lance for three years now, had looked at him countless times, but he had never really _seen_ him before. Well, at least not like that. It was probably just the after effects from the sex, or his hormones or something, is what he told himself. But, it also didn’t matter how stupidly attractive Lance was in that moment, because he wasn’t Shiro. And Keith loved Shiro, needed to get out of this bed right now and go apologize to Shiro.

And just like that, the moment was gone, and Keith was back in his funk.

“Tell meeee.” Lance whined, and Keith suddenly remembered how annoying Lance was. He much preferred the sounds he was making last night... but he needed to stop that train of thought before it lead south.

“It’s just,” Keith sighed trying to figure out what to say, what to _do_. But he knew Lance deserved the truth after everything that had just happened between them. “I think… I think I need to apologize to Shiro.” He finally blurted out, and he wasn’t even looking at Lance but he could practically feel his expression crumbling. He didn’t want to think about the way his eyes might have stopped sparkling, how his smile might have flattered in its glowing radiance. There was a poignant pause between them where Keith held his breath in anticipation.

“Dude, that’s literally what I was trying to tell you last night.” Lance responded, and Keith did a double take at how upbeat and casual Lance’s voice sounded. Like none of the complications of what they had just done had even crossed his mind yet. As if they were sitting in the kitchen casually talking over a cup of coffee and not lying naked in bed together in a mess of sweat and bodily fluids. “Do I have to fuck the shit out of you every time I need you to listen?” He teased, but the joke fell flat on Keith’s ears.

Alarms were going off in his mind leaving him tense and disoriented because he didn’t understand what was going on, what Lance was playing at. We’re they just pretending that this never happened? Did Lance really not have any feelings left for him? Was he okay with Keith running back to Shiro? Did he realize that Keith had just cheated on Shiro with him? And, most importantly, was he going to tell anyone? And a million more questions and doubts were soaring through his head, spitting out one after another leaving him dizzy and confused. How could he bring this sort of thing up without being tasteless and offensive? He was always so bad at confrontation.

Keith cleared his throat, looking for his voice as he tried to think of what to say.

“Lance, are… we cool?” Was all he could manage to push out, his voice strained with the mental effort of even just that. He facepalmed at how dumb he probably sounded, but wasn’t sure how else to phrase it. Lance smiled, the bright and blinding smile that radiated liked the sun, and he didn’t know why but he wanted to kiss that smile and see if it felt as warm as it looked.

“Of course, dude. Why wouldn’t we be?” Lance reassured, as if Keith was asking about spilled milk in the kitchen and not having mind blowing sex with one of your closest friends twice in a row. “You might want to wait until tonight though, you have class in fifteen minutes.” He added.

Keith leaned over and craned his head to look at the clock on the nightstand that read 9:15am and he realized Lance was right.

“Shit!” He cursed as he jumped out of bed, his muscles straining and bones cracking in protest at the sudden movement after all the exertion he had just forced onto them. He ignored the fleeting discomfort however as he gathered his clothes from the floor and jumped in the shower in an attempt to wash the smell of sex and depression off of him.

Keith ran out the door five minutes late already, and only briefly registered in his haste that Lance had disappeared from the apartment. He was in too much of a rush to dwell on it though, and figured that he could have run to anywhere on campus and didn’t owe Keith a goodbye anyway. He pushed those thoughts out of his mind as he closed the door behind him and half sprinted to his class.

* * *

 When Keith got back from his long day of work and classes that night, he stood at the exit to the stairwell on his floor torn between where to go. Even though he had resolved on apologizing this morning, and had been running through exactly what he would say all day, he suddenly found his feet cemented to the ground, and that knot twisting in his chest again.

He wanted to go back to Lance and Hunk’s apartment, pretend like nothing was wrong, maybe have really good sex again, and temporarily forget about his predicament. Maybe he could transfer the lease, take their couch, and find a new routine in that apartment. He wouldn’t mind winging a life there for the rest of the semester. It felt safer, and easier, and his body was practically pushing him towards it so much he almost convinced himself that somehow it would be possible.

But it didn’t matter if it was possible, or easier, because deep down he loved Shiro. He didn’t want to lose Shiro. And he knew that even if he somehow did leave him for good and manage to pretend like none of this had ever happened, it wouldn’t sit right inside of him. He wouldn’t be able to move on knowing he didn’t do everything in his power to get Shiro back when he had the chance. He wouldn’t be able to live with himself knowing he let the best thing that had ever happened to him slip through his fingers without even trying to fight for it.

He walked up to his apartment with heavy feet and his heart in his stomach. He was scared, terrified, his mind screaming in protest at the emotional vulnerability that he knew was waiting beyond that door. But he fought every nerve in his body, and used all the strength he had left to lift his hand and knock on the door, the sound ringing loud and crisp in the abandoned hallway. Keith wasn’t sure what Shiro was thinking, how he felt, or what he was going to say when he saw him like this. But, he knew that he deserved whatever was coming. So, he swallowed his pride and didn’t let himself duck out back into Lance’s apartment at the last minute.

It felt like an eternity before he heard the lock fumbling on the other side of the door, Keith standing in the hallway and counting his heartbeats in anticipation. He didn’t realize he was holding his breath until the door finally creaked open and he gasped at the man standing on the other side.

“Can I help you?” Shiro grumbled, and he looked absolutely wrecked. He had stubble lining his chin, bags under his eyes, and he was wearing a shirt with bleach stains and holes and a pair of baggy grey sweatpants. Shiro was always known for being the pillar of strength, the center of stability, the peak of composure. Seeing that Shiro had completely let himself go like this was tragic and almost painful in a way Keith hadn’t anticipated, and his heart broke a little knowing that he was the cause of it.

Keith swallowed those thoughts nervously before taking a shaky breath. “Can I come in?”

Shiro hesitated for a second, and Keith almost thought he was going to say no, before he finally nodded and opened the door wider for him. “Of course.”

Keith stepped into the apartment slowly, almost like he was worried of frightening a wild animal, but he stopped in shock once he was finally inside. The apartment was exactly the way he had left it, his mug sitting on the coffee table, the TV running with only the kitchen lights on, and that damn pile of dirty dishes still sitting in the sink. It was like he was stepping back into the night of the fight, jumping back in time for a second chance. And, even though he was a little bit shaken at being thrust back into this environment, he wouldn’t waste the opportunity.

He gulped before turning around to face Shiro who was closing the door behind him, and spit it out before he could overthink it too much and regret it. “I want to apologize.” He announced, and Shiro’s head whipped up at the statement, his eyebrows shooting up in surprise before scrunching together in confusion.

“Apologize for what?” Shiro asked, looking genuinely perplexed. “You didn’t do anything wrong.”

And Keith almost had whiplash at how taken aback he was by the sudden statement. Out of all of the scenarios he had anticipated before walking in here, that response had not been one of them.

“What?” He asked helplessly, not sure what Shiro was getting at. Was this some sort of game, or trick question or something? Was Shiro trying to trip him up and he was supposed to dodge and confront the dilemma himself? “Shiro, what the hell are you talking about? I’ve never fucked up so bad in my life.”

And Keith had never seen Shiro’s expression completely crumble the way it did in that moment.

He walked past Keith and sat down on the couch with a heavy sigh. “I feel terrible for making you feel that way, for making you feel like it was your fault. I was just tired and stressed and I blamed you because you were the closest person. But that was really immature, and I’m really sorry Keith.” He apologized, and Keith’s jaw was hanging open at this point. He couldn’t believe what he was hearing. Shiro was apologizing to _him_?

“Shiro, no. You don’t need to apologize. Everything you said was right!” Keith retorted, walking closer towards the couch and trying to convey his honesty in the openness of his expression. “I thought about it, and your right. I take advantage of your kindness way too much. I don’t consider how much work you do and how dependent I am on you and everything you do for me. And I’m not just talking about the dishes and the chores, I’m talking about mentally and emotionally as well. You’re like my rock Shiro, you’ve helped me grow so much as a person. And spending these days apart has just shown me how much I never want to lose you.”

There was a silence as Shiro processed the words and considered what to say next. Keith was practically shaking in anticipation, never having felt so emotionally vulnerable in such a long time. Here he was offering his bare heart up to Shiro, waiting to see if he would accept it or tear it to shreds. It was terrifying, and everything in his body was screaming at him to run away, because he knew for a fact that he wouldn’t be able to pick up the pieces this time.

“I appreciate that you’ve acknowledged that and understand what I was trying to say.” Shiro began slowly, like he was picking out the exact words, and suddenly Keith felt like the wild animal that had to be tiptoed around. “And I forgive you” he added, and Keith breathed a sigh of relief, because it didn’t matter where the conversation went from here. As long as Shiro didn’t hate him, then Keith would consider that a crisis avoided.

“But,” Shiro continued, and Keith found himself holding his breath. “The way I confronted you was rash and inappropriate. I didn’t consider your feelings, or what deeper wounds I might have been opening up as well. And, I’ve been sitting here beating myself up for causing you that kind of distress over something so trivial that could have been avoided so easily if I had just thought it through and talked with you properly instead of acting on impulse. I just feel terrible about it Keith, and I’m really sorry.”

Keith wasn’t sure at what point in the conversation his throat had tightened up and his eyes had started to sting, but the feeling was overwhelming him at this point. Shiro was good, too good for him, too good for anyone in this world. And Keith was so incredibly lucky to have him as his boyfriend.

“I really don’t deserve you.” Keith said with a small smile, sitting down to join Shiro on the couch. He wiped at his eyes and tried to focus on the TV to distract him from his overwhelming emotions, but his vision was too blurry for him to distinguish anything on the small screen. Shiro put his arm around him automatically, like they were just falling back into their old routine, and Keith didn’t think twice before resting his head on Shiro’s shoulder. They fit so well together like this, and Keith wondered why he ever though he could live without it.

“Keith.” Shiro whispered, and he only barely heard it through the sounds of the TV. “I need you to forgive me, too.”

And Keith straightened up at that, picking up his head to look the other man in the eyes.

“What do you mean?” He asked. Wasn’t it obvious from the sappy apology, the stupid tears, and internal monologue that Shiro was one hundred percent forgiven on this and all other fights for the rest of his life?

“Obviously, we both made mistakes here, but I need you to forgive me the way I forgave you. I need you to say it. I need closure.” Shiro explained, and Keith scrunched up his face in confusion, but he also almost laughed. Because of course Shiro would need this in writing, formalities and everything, just to make sure there was no room for error or misunderstandings.

“Takashi Shirogane,” Keith began, his voice stern as he cupped Shiro’s face in his hands, forcing him to look him in the eyes to convey the seriousness of his expression. “You are undoubtedly and wholeheartedly one hundred percent forgiven on anything and everything that could possibly be wrong.” Keith said, and Shiro chuckled slightly at the exaggeration of the statement. And just that laugh, that small crack of a smile, was like a giant weight had been removed from Keith’s shoulders. The tension aired out of the room, and suddenly Keith felt a hundred pounds lighter.

“Now, Keith, you know how I feel about you using my first name.” Shiro teased, a glint of mischief in his eyes as he leaned a little bit closer. And Keith almost sighed in relief because finally, things felt normal again.

“And you know how I feel about letting your stubble grow out, _Takashi_.” Keith responded, smirking suggestively as he repeated the name and nuzzled their noses together. “Was your back up plan to seduce me?”

“Why, is it working?” He joked, before finally closing the distance and pressing their lips together. Despite the flirting, it was slow and gentle, and it felt like home, familiarity, and comfort all at once, and Keith sighed into it. He knew these lips, had memorized them over time, and he felt grounded and secure in them.

He felt Shiro’s hands graze his thighs, before he hoisted Keith into his lap and stood up with him in his arms, Keith instinctively locking his legs around his torso. Their lips broke apart at the movement, but Keith didn’t want this to end, and attached himself to Shiro’s neck as the other man attempted to navigate them through the apartment. He instantly went to work on the sensitive spot there, biting and sucking, and he felt Shiro trembling underneath him.

“If you keep that up, we won’t make it to the bedroom.” Shiro warned, the mischievous tone still evident in his voice. But it just motivated Keith further, a part of him wanting Shiro to take him against the wall or on the kitchen counter, or just anywhere new and exciting. He wanted something desperate and rough, something different than they had ever done before, something like La-

He gasped as he fell back against the bed suddenly, his thoughts scrambling at the sudden rush of movement. This bed was familiar, this body on top of him was familiar, even the lube and condoms were all so familiar, but right now his body was craving _more_. But, there was no way to say that, no way to bring it up without alerting Shiro of a red flag, and there was no way Shiro could ever find out. So instead he went through the familiar motions, complied with the routine. If Shiro noticed how much longer it took him to come, he didn’t mention it.

That night he curled up against Shiro and laid his head against his chest, listening to his heart beating and his breathes slowing until he was finally asleep. It was only then that he let himself admit that something still felt off. He thought that by coming back here and apologizing, everything would be able to go back to normal. But it couldn’t. Something had shifted out of place inside Keith and he couldn’t seem to ignore it. As he was stuck lying here in the dark with just his thoughts, he felt it gnawing at the back of his mind. It felt like he was missing something, like he had left something behind in that apartment across the hall, and now he was left with a gaping hole in his chest. And even though he hated to admit it, he knew only one person could fill it.

* * *

 The next day things seemed to go back to normal. He woke up with the sun, curled up in the familiar warmth of Shiro’s arms. They both just smiled at each other, like they were so happy to have this normality back, to have this routine to fall into again. They walked to the gym together and held hands along the way, and Keith was practically beaming the entire time. His giddy emotions reminded him of how he felt when they had first started dating, with thoughts of first love, hopes, and opportunities still crowding his brain. It seemed like Shiro felt the same way too, because when they got back to the apartment they decided to shower together. Which led to other things. And that was definitely not part of their routine.

Either way, Shiro was known for his punctuality, and they still managed to be sitting at the kitchen table with breakfast in front of them thirty minutes before their first class. He liked living like this, liked the order and stability that Shiro brought into his life, and he wouldn’t ask for it any other way.

Except in bed. And he felt his face falling just with that thought. He was trying to be happy, and content, and grateful for what he had with Shiro. But, he was just so _vanilla._ Even the shower sex, which Keith had initiated in an attempt to spice things up, was so boring. And he couldn’t manage to quiet his thoughts as his body craved something _more_.

“And how is my favorite couple in the universe?” Lance announced like he always did as he strolled in, causing both men to tense up slightly even though they were used to the intrusions at this point. Keith tried to quiet his thoughts from roaming back to their time together and the incredible sex, but he found himself squirming in his chair, a flush falling on his face as he thought of that hot, sweaty, panting body writhing underneath him-

“Good morning, Lance.” Shiro responded, his voice reminder enough to shut down all of Keith’s indecent thoughts. Him and Shiro had finally made up and he couldn’t let Lance or his stupid hormones ruin it. Shiro was more important than any sex, he kept telling himself, and he swallowed nervously.

“I’m guessing since Keith didn’t come over last night, you guys finally made up?” Lance wondered as he walked into the kitchen and helped himself to a cup of coffee before joining them at the small table. “Not gonna lie, I was kinda hoping I would walk in and find you guys fucking on the counter or something.” He said casually, and Keith almost choked on his scrambled eggs. “You know, as a small payment for taking care of Keith’s emo ass for like four days. But, it’s fine.” And Keith felt his flush spreading up his ears and down his neck.

Lance laughed when he noticed the blush, poking fun at how embarrassed he was. But in reality, Keith thought that sounded so incredibly hot, and he felt warmth pooling in his gut as he imagined the scenario in his head. Having sex with Shiro while Lance watched was lewd and obscene but also inexplicably turned him on, and he could feel himself getting hard just thinking about it. How did this happen to him? When did he become so downright _filthy_?

Shiro managed to quickly steer the conversation in another direction, but the thought still sat in the back of Keith’s mind. He was practically squirming in his seat, trying to quell the sexual urges that were completely taking over him. When they walked to class together, Keith made sure to walk on the other side of Shiro, putting as much space between him and Lance as he possibly could. But once they got to class, Shiro had to go sit in the front with the professor, leaving Keith alone with Lance in the back.

Lance tapped an unfamiliar rhythm against the table in front of him, and Keith watched those long fingers remembering what they could do, what they have done. He watched his tongue as it slowly licked his lips nervously, and now Keith couldn’t stop thinking about that tongue, those lips, that mouth, hot and panting between them, breathes mixing with moans and words as he chanted Keith’s name. And then Lance bit his bottom lip, like he was confused about something on the board, and Keith was gone. Everything was too hot and he felt like he was sweating, and he cursed himself for wearing skinny jeans because they felt too tight all of a sudden and-

“Hey, are you okay?” Lance whispered to him, and concern was written all across his face. He swallowed and calmed himself down enough to quiet his thoughts.

“Yeah, I’m fine.” He said with a nod, and was actually surprised at how composed his voice came out. Lance pursed his lips, like he didn’t quite believe him, but finally nodded and turned back to the lecture, and Keith let out a breath he didn’t realize he had been holding.

How was Lance acting so normal about all of this? Lance had literally told him it had been the best sex of his life, so why wasn’t he getting all hot and heavy just by being in the same room together? Why was it just Keith? Maybe Lance had just said that in the moment, probably said that to everyone. And Lance wasn’t confined to one person like Keith was, he could go out and find tons of other people to have mind blowing sex with. There was a whole campus full of horny students at his disposal.

And for the first time, Keith wished he could have both of them. This entire time, he had been convincing himself that all he needed was Shiro, and that the vanilla sex wasn’t that bad. But now, he found himself wishing that there was a place for both of them in his life. As selfish and unfair as that was, he wanted both of them, and wished he didn’t have to choose between them.

But who was he to sit here and act like he had a choice in the first place? Lance hadn’t consented to be part of the melodrama of Keith’s mind, hadn’t proposed any sort of relationship or commitment beyond their two sexual encounters and already occurring friendship. And once again, Keith was reminded that he had no idea what Lance thought about any of this, where he stood on the matter. Keith needed to talk to him, needed to make sure they were on the same page. And, more than anything, he needed to know that Lance hadn’t told anyone about what had happened, especially Shiro. That thought alone scared him enough to know he needed to talk to Lance, and he promised himself he would swing by the apartment later tonight.

The class dragged on for what felt like hours, the same thoughts swirling around Keith’s mind in a reoccuring loop, torturing and threatening his already fragile emotional stability. When they were finally dismissed and Keith left the lecture hall, it was like a breath of fresh air, and Keith slowly started to regain his sanity. The trio parted ways, Keith having to start his shift at work soon, and the other two heading back to their apartments for their down time between classes. Keith was more than a little reluctant to let them go, worried about what they might talk about if they were alone together. But, in the end he knew it would be worse if he tried to stop them, so he just prayed to God that Lance didn’t say anything before he got to talk to him later that day.

Work was busy and a drag like always, and Keith’s anxiety of leaving the two alone wasn’t helping. But, he didn’t get any angry texts or screaming voicemails, so, in this case, it seemed like no news was good news. He thought about what he would say to Lance for the umpteenth time when he finally clocked out, and made his way across campus back to their building. He made himself swear to every deity he could think of that he wouldn’t sleep with Lance again, wouldn’t give into the temptation, because that would just make the situation a hundred times worse.

When he reached the building he decided to send Shiro a text saying he was going to go over to Lance’s to thank him for taking care of him these past couple days, so he might be home a little later than usual. It stung a little to lie to him again, but he promised himself that this would be the last one. After this was finally settled, he would never lie to Shiro ever again.

He heard running and doors slamming as he made his way up the stairwell, but didn’t think much of it. This was university housing after all. When he finally reached the top of the stairs, he went right instead of left and stood in front of Lance’s apartment door. He was nervous, but it was time to clean up this mess he had gotten himself into, and settle things finally once and for all. He knew he couldn’t keep living like this, so he took a deep breath, knocking twice on the door before letting himself in like he always did.

“Hey, its me.” He announced as he walked in, closing the door behind him. Hunk was in the kitchen like usual, the smell of dinner cooking hitting him immediately, and the TV was playing in the background.

“Hey, what’s up?” Lance greeted as he turned to look at him from the couch, and immediately Keith could tell something was wrong. Lance’s hair was a mess like he had just rolled out of bed, not perfectly styled like it was during class today, and his clothes were also wrinkled like he had just dug them out of the hamper. When he noticed that he even seemed slightly out of breath, Keith knew something must be up.

“Lance, are you okay?” Keith wondered, taking a couple steps towards him in his worry.

“I’m fine!” Lance squeaked, jumping up from the couch and stepping back, like he was trying to keep his distance. “I’m just going to… take a shower. Before dinner.” He said suddenly, like he realized the unnatural behavior and was trying to cover it up. “Be right back” He added before scrambling away down the hall.

Keith watched him go completely confused, before it dawned on him that maybe Lance _was_ feeling as wrung up as Keith was about what had happened. He was just better at covering it up. But, Keith coming in here completely unannounced had probably thrown him off guard and exposed how he really felt. It was the only thing that made logical sense to him, and he felt slightly relieved at putting it together. Like he wasn’t as alone in his feelings as he thought, and his emotions were more validated then he realized.

“What’s his problem?” Keith asked, feigning innocence as he made his way over to the kitchen to watch Hunk cook. Hunk just shrugged as Keith slid onto one of the kitchen stools, not taking his eyes off of whatever he was stirring in a big pot.

“I don’t know, I think something happened. He’s been acting really weird recently.” Hunk mumbled, almost like he was trying to figure it out for himself. Keith gulped slightly at just the notion of anyone else finding out.

“What do you think happened?” Keith pushed, trying to figure out how much he knew.

“Sorry, Keith. Lance said I’m not allowed to talk about him to you or Shiro. And he’s my best friend, so I have to respect that until he decides to tell me what’s going on.” Hunk explained, and Keith did a double take. Why wasn’t Hunk allowed to talk to Shiro about this? Shiro didn’t have anything to do with it.

“Shiro? What happened with Shiro?” Keith asked, hoping his worry wasn’t seeping into his voice.

“I told you, man. I can’t talk about it.” Hunk repeated, and now Keith was pissed.

“Hunk, he’s my boyfriend of over a _year._ If anything happened between him and Lance I deserve to know.” Keith pointed out, hoping his face was more composed than his mind. In his head alarms were going off, predicting the worst possible scenario. What if Lance had told him? What if Shiro was lying to him? What if they were plotting against him behind his back? What if-

“Hey, Keith, stop. You’re freaking out.” Hunk stated, finally stopping in his stirring long enough to look up at him. Hunk’s eyes were serious, but in them he also saw trust and loyalty for his best friend, and for some reason it made his next words all the more sincere. “Lance is a good person and you’re one of his closest friends. Whatever you’re thinking right now is a complete overreaction. He would never do anything to intentionally hurt you or Shiro, and you know that.”

Keith sighed at that, deep and heavy, because Hunk was right. Everything that had happened up until now was his fault, and Lance had just gone along with it to make him feel better. Keith was the one who initiated the sex, knowingly manipulating Lance’s feelings for him to use for his own selfish desires. It was disgusting and terrible and he hated himself for doing it, hated himself even more for trying to project the blame onto Lance, and was once again reminded of why he came here and why he needed to talk to the other man.

“You’re right.” Keith agreed, looking down at his hands on the counter. “I’m definitely freaking out over nothing, like always.”

“I’m always right.” Hunk stated, like he was surprised that Keith would ever doubt that. And he gave Keith a reassuring wink before turning around to rummage through the fridge for more ingredients.

They sat in silence for awhile, Hunk continuing to cook and Keith continuing to watch, before Lance emerged from the shower, smelling like soap and his strawberry shampoo. And with Lance in the room, it was never silent. Keith ended up staying for dinner, so caught up in the mood and conversation, and, for the first time in what felt like forever, he saw Lance as a very good friend to have around and not just a figure clouded over by sexual desire. For some reason, he was suddenly reminded of the life he had imagined for himself here in this apartment, and it honestly didn’t seem so far fetched after all.

After dinner he helped Lance clean up. That was the arrangement in their house: Hunk cooked and Lance cleaned. Hunk turned in after dinner saying he had an 8am the next day, leaving the two alone in the kitchen washing the dishes together. Keith knew this was the time to mention it, but he couldn’t manage to make the words come out. They seemed to just stick in his throat. After a couple moments of rinsing and drying in silence, Lance finally spoke up.

“So, why are you really here, Kogane?” Lance asked slyly, like he was aware of something that Keith wasn’t. Keith’s hands shook nervously around the dish he was drying at the sudden confrontation, and he had to set it down and grip the counter to center himself. He could feel Lance’s eyes on him as he lowered the plate, waiting for a response, but first he had to make sure his voice wouldn’t come out as a shrill squeak.

He cleared his throat. “I think… I think we should talk.” He finally said, the words coming out small and meek despite the long pause.

“About what?” Lance wondered, like he truly had no idea. Keith glanced up at him and saw no waver in his composure, and that’s when he remembered how great of an actor Lance really was. He was always so good at hiding behind masks, keeping his real feelings tucked away and out of sight, and Keith wanted nothing more then to tear that damn mask off and rip it to shreds so it could never be used again. He thought they had reached the point in their friendship where Lance didn’t need to default to that anymore.

“About what happened _twice_ in your bed literally yesterday, and don’t you dare play dumb with me and act like it didn’t happen.” Keith declared, refusing to let Lance’s slick thinking get him out of this conversation.

“What’s there to talk about? It was just sex, right?” Lance questioned, his eyebrows crinkling like he didn’t understand what the big deal was. And Keith’s face fell slightly because maybe he was right. Maybe he was overthinking this and it wasn’t that big of a deal. They had sex, which was a mistake, but it was over and in the past and there was nothing they could do about it but make sure it never happened again.

“Unless, you want to do it again.”

And Keith’s head shot up at that, not entirely sure he had heard those thoughts out loud instead of in his head. He expected Lance to have that expression of oblivious innocence from earlier, or maybe a teasing smile like it had just been a joke, but what he found instead was terrifying. Lance was staring down at him with a mischievous grin, his eyes sparkling with a hungry glint like he was just drinking up the sight of Keith, and it was a look he was becoming all to familiar with.

“What?” He managed to squeak out, trying to figure out what the hell was going on. His head was spinning from the whiplash, but his body was thrumming in anticipation, his mind whirring with memories from their previous times together.

“I noticed the way you were looking at me earlier, how you squirmed when I mentioned walking in on you and Shiro. It turned you on, didn’t it?” Lance asked stepping closer, but it felt more like an interrogation, and Keith felt a red flush spreading on his cheeks. Who was this man standing in front of him right now? Because it sure as hell wasn’t the goofy, annoying, loudmouth that he had just had dinner with, or spent the last three years being friends with. This man was cocky, and mischievous, and confident, and it was so fucking sexy and Keith couldn’t figure out _why._

“N-no.” Keith stuttered, his composure cracking under the immense pressure that was Lance himself. He tried to push those thoughts away, tried to remind himself of Shiro, and how much Shiro meant to him. But thoughts of Lance kept clouding his mind, of all the things they did together, but also all the things they didn’t, and all the things that Keith wanted to try. It was suddenly so hot in the room, and Keith couldn’t get enough air in his lungs to breathe.

“Even now, your getting all red just thinking about it.” Lance observed with that smug smile as he leaned in even further, and Keith felt his back press against the counter as he automatically stepped away. “Is Shiro not giving you what you need?”

And Keith almost snorted at that. Was he really that easy to read? He knew Lance was smarter than he looked, but damn that one hit home like a swing to the gut. Lance had definitely hit a sore spot, and Keith ducked his head in response, not knowing what to say. It was true, of course, but he didn’t want to give Lance anymore leverage over him then he already had. He was already desperate with desire, hungry just to be touched, and he was practically squirming with arousal just at being so close to the other man.

He felt Lance lean in closer, placing his hands on either side of him on the counter and trapping him to the spot. His warm breath grazed his ear and it sent a shiver down his spine. He wanted nothing more then to turn his head and kiss those lips, feel that hot breath panting into his mouth again.

“Tell me what you want, Keith.” He whispered, his voice low and rough and practically dripping with desire. It took everything in him to not melt on the spot. He felt Lance’s body around him like a furnace radiating warmth, so close but not touching, enveloping him completely but from just an inch away. He wanted nothing more than to close the distance between them, to quell the itch that was building inside of him, to feel relief from all this clogged up tension pooling hot in his gut, he wanted-

“You.” He breathed, not even registering that he had said the admission out loud until he felt Lance’s lips on the soft spot under his ears, warm and wet as it licked and sucked at the sensitive skin there. Keith moaned immediately at the contact. It was like a breath of fresh air, a moment of relief, and his knees wobbled slightly. Lance’s hand was immediately on his hips, stern and strong, holding him up against the counter. Lance made his way down Keith’s neck leaving a wet trail in his wake and the noises Keith was making in response were absolutely obscene.

“You might want to quiet down there if you don’t want to wake up Hunk.” Lance warned, teasingly like always. And that’s when Keith realized that there was no moving to the bedroom, for ease and comfort and whatever. No, Lance was going to fuck him right here against the countertop where anyone could walk in on them, the front door literally unlocked. That thought alone sent a spike of arousal down his body, and he practically shivered in anticipation.

He grabbed Lance by the hair and forced their lips together to try and stifle his moan, the hard line of his body pressed up against his now. It was rough and hot, teeth and tongues colliding in a whirlwind of pleasure, and Keith couldn’t get enough. He pulled Lance closer to him, tugged his shirt off, and ran his nails down his back, but it just wasn’t close enough. He wanted more, needed him inside of him immediately.

“Lance,” Keith panted, finally managing to pull away from the kiss. He was sweaty and delirious and his head felt too hot, like he was drunk off of Lance’s kisses alone. He pushed Lance away for a second and pulled his shirt off as well, the cool air of the apartment feeling good against his sweaty body, and slightly relieving the heat welling up inside of him. He could see Lance’s gaze studying him, his eyes roaming over every curve and dip of his body exposed to him, and that expression made Keith needy for more. He loved this feeling of being wanted, of someone being hungry for him, overcome with desire for him, and his pants felt way too tight now. “Lance, I want you to fuck me right here right now.”

Lance chuckled softly, stepping back into his space and rubbing the bulge in his pants leaving Keith gasping and melting again. “Well, aren’t you a spicy boy.” He chuckled, and Keith’s mind only barely managed to process the terrible words in his dizzy haze.

“Please,” He grunted in between breaths. “Don’t make that a new nickname.”

Lance didn’t answer, and only winked before pulling away completely and disappearing into the other room. Keith immediately gripped the counter as he struggled to hold himself up, not having the strong weight of Lance’s body to lean up against anymore. The cold of the apartment hit him all at once, and he sucked the chilling air in as he tried to center himself, standing half naked and half hard in this kitchen that wasn’t his own. He told himself to run away, disappear before Lance could come back, but he knew in his heart that he wouldn’t be able to, didn’t want to. His body had been craving this since last time, and now that he was so close he felt like he would explode if he didn’t relieve the tension building inside of him.

Lance was running back in an instant, his hands full this time, and it was only a second later before that familiar heat of Lance’s body was being pressed up against him again. Keith was already reaching, pulling, grasping for any sort of contact to help quell the itch that had been building while he was away, but Lance just shrugged him off.

“Turn around, spicy boy.” Lance ordered, and Keith was so excited he couldn’t even protest the nickname, practically trembling as he felt Lance undo his pants and expose him to the open air. There was a strong hand on his back forcing him down to lean over the countertop, and the cold surface raised goosebumps on his skin. “Now remember to be quiet.” Lance instructed, and Keith didn’t understand why until he felt something soft and wet trailing over his entrance and Keith gasped at the contact, biting his fist to stop any other noises from escaping.

He had never in his entire life even considered something like this, but now he didn’t want it to stop, wanted _more._ If Keith thought Lance’s fingers were good, Lance’s tongue was sending him to the as(s)tral plane, and he was glad that it was finally being put to good use. He gripped the countertop trying to keep himself from thrusting backwards, but his body was writhing and trembling in protest. The heat was building in his gut, the tension on the verge of snapping, and his dick hadn’t even been _touched_ yet, but still he was tiptoeing the edge.

“Lance,” He panted, his voice strained as he tried to keep himself from shouting. “If you keep that up… I don’t… I don’t think I can-”

Lance pulled away immediately, and suddenly Keith could breathe again. But the itch was still there, hot and uncomfortable and desperate for friction.

“Sorry, I got a little carried away there.” Lance apologized, straightening up and wiping the drool off of his chin. Keith shivered at just the notion that Lance got lost in him, that he had wanted that as bad as Keith did. Keith grinded his ass back in response so that it rubbed against Lance’s dick, and now it was his turn to moan. One of Lance’s hands shot out, gripping Keith’s hip hard enough to bruise just to keep himself from toppling to the ground. “Fuck,” he grunted out.

“Just fuck me already, Lance.” Keith spit out, voice stern and demanding. He wanted this, needed this so bad, and Lance teasing him like this was just pushing him further towards the edge.

“You don’t have to tell me twice.” Lance snorted, lining up behind him. Keith only felt the slightest graze of contact before Lance thrusted into him all at once, his body automatically arching up to accommodate him. And almost as if it was second nature to him, Lance immediately hit that spot inside of him that had Keith melting into the counter. Lance pulled back only to slam into that spot again and again, and Keith’s head was spinning, words littered with the most obscene sounds tumbling out of his mouth.

Somewhere between the friction the feeling from that first night was back. Lance and Keith were so different, such polar opposites, that when they came together like this it was like an explosion. It was like when land meets water, a giant hurricane swirling around them, hot and raw and powerful, and they were in the eye of the storm, watching as everything was ripped apart around them. Lance pounded him into the counter without an ounce of regard for his well being, and it made Keith’s insides light up with fire, like a volcano about to erupt. Finally, _finally,_ he had someone who didn’t care, or worry, or tiptoe around him like a kicked puppy. He loved how Lance treated him like a human being who was sexy and desirable and that he wanted to fuck the shit out of. Keith felt like a volcano in that moment, his insides boiling with lava, hot and bubbling, pressing against his insides for an escape. He felt himself teetering on the edge and he wasn’t sure how much longer he could last.

As if he sensed it, Lance reached around and took Keith’s dick in his hand, and he hissed at the touch. He was so hot and sensitive, and he immediately started to thrust into his hand. It only took a couple strokes before Keith finally erupted, biting on the inside of his cheek to keep from shouting as his muscles spasmed and he shot out all over the kitchen counter. At that, Lance let his hips lose rhythm and thrust sporadically until he fell over the edge too, fingers digging bruises into Keith’s hips as he held on for dear life. He sunk his teeth into Keith’s shoulder to keep himself from screaming, and clenched his eyes shut as he came, his hips stuttering out.

They stood there holding each other for a moment and panting breathlessly as they came down from their high. Suddenly Keith could feel the uncomfortable counter beneath him from his awkward position on top of it, the room was too cold as the air hit his sweaty and cooling body, and his ass was throbbing from the all the exertion he had forced it through these past couple of days. He almost wished that they were in bed just so that he could collapse and fall asleep. He was absolutely exhausted.

“Damn how do you do that? You had me seeing stars that time.” Lance chuckled as he pulled out of Keith. He was gentle but Keith still flinched slightly at the feeling.

“I didn’t do anything that time. I literally just stood there.” Keith argued, not understanding what Lance was getting out of this. Lance walked over to the trash can and threw the condom away as Keith straightened out and started to pull his pants back on.

“It doesn’t really matter, it’s just something about you that makes it so good.” Lance explained, picking up the shirts from the ground and walking back over to Keith to hand it to him. Lance was standing incredibly close for such a casual exchange, and it was the first time Keith noticed how much taller Lance had gotten over the years. He had to bend his neck to look up into his eyes, those blue eyes that had crashed and roared like the ocean only moments ago but were now calm and gentle, the aftermath of the storm that was the two of them. “You’re my starboy.” He whispered, like only Keith was allowed to hear it. And Keith didn’t know why but he liked that nickname.

It just felt so natural in the moment, and Keith didn’t think about it before he leaned forward onto his tip toes and pressed their lips together. Lance froze in surprise for a second, but then immediately he responded, opening up to Keith and bringing a hand up to cup his face. The kiss was slow and gentle, different then anything they had ever done before, but still filled with the warmth and passion from before. And while it wasn’t rough and dirty like usual, it still felt intimate and deep in a way he couldn’t seem to place. This is how it would feel to kiss the sun, is what ran through his head.

But just like that it was over, and Keith fell back onto his heels, but neither of them moved. Those ocean eyes suddenly looked stormy, and Keith didn’t know why but he found the question sticking in his throat. He wondered what Lance was thinking about as he stared back at him and brushed his thumb across his cheek, because in that moment all Keith could think of was Lance.

“You should go.” Lance stated, clearing his throat to hide the awkwardness and stepping away. Keith fell forward at the sudden movement and had to catch himself, like he had just been awoken from a sleepy haze. His head was spinning as reality and everything that just happened crashed over him. When he looked back up, Lance had put his shirt back on and was digging through the cabinets for cleaning wipes. Keith swallowed down all those thoughts, pushing that mental crisis away for another time, and pulled his shirt back on as well. Lance had told him to go, but for some reason he didn’t want to.

Either way, he didn’t want to overstay his welcome, so he pushed his feet towards the door. He paused when he got there, his hand heavy on the handle, and glanced back up at Lance who was wiping down the counter of all evidence of their encounter.

“Lance.” Keith found himself calling out, the words slipping out without his consent.

“Yeah?” Lance asked, stopping in his scrubbing to glance up at the other man. Keith wasn’t sure why he had done that, since he had nothing to actually say, and he felt himself blushing slightly in embarrassment.

“Goodnight.” He finally settled on before pushing himself out the door and closing it gently behind him.

He was sinking to the ground before he even realized it, hugging his knees against his chest on impulse. He wasn’t sure what had just happened, but he knew he needed to sort it out before he walked into his own apartment and faced Shiro. Because… that was good. And not just sex good, but just like really _good._ Like chest warming, heart fluttering, mind whirling good. And he couldn’t figure out _why._

But he knew that he couldn’t keep lying to himself.

Shiro wasn’t bad in bed, and Keith had been perfectly content with the sex before. And, in all honesty, if Keith wanted to spice up their sex life, all he really had to do was open his damn mouth and say something. Shiro was such a nice and understanding guy, Keith knew he would be open to the idea, would be willing to try it. Just like how he had agreed to the shower sex this morning after Keith proposed it. The real issue here was that he wanted to have sex with Lance. The problem wasn’t that sex with Shiro was bad, but that it wasn’t Lance. And he wasn’t sure why his body was suddenly craving fucking Lance Espinosa out of every fucking person on the entire planet.

Maybe there was something hot about sneaking around, about wanting something that he couldn’t have. Maybe it was because Lance was his age and closer to his body type that made them more equal in sex, allowing for more spontaneity and role reversal. Or maybe it was Lance’s long fingers that could reach that spot inside of him, or his hot mouth, or his _tongue..._ and Keith shut that stream of thought down before it could elevate any further.

Keith groaned in frustration as he let his head fall back against the door. The truth was that he didn’t want to face Shiro, not after what he had just done. He had just made his situation a million times worse, had actively and consciously cheated on the man that he loved, the man that he just didn’t deserve anymore. Keith had never considered himself a cheater, had never had the urge to cheat on Shiro before, well not until this week at least. And he didn’t know what to do, didn’t know how to resolve the situation.

He knew now that he couldn’t resist Lance, couldn’t trust himself alone with him and couldn’t figure out how to talk to him. Dealing with Lance just wasn’t an option anymore. But he also knew in his heart that he would never be able to tell Shiro the truth, would never be able to risk everything they had built together over this. Whatever this was.

So he decided he would have to put distance between him and Lance, as much as it hurt and as much as he knew it could ruin their friendship it was the only choice he had, the only way he would be able to return his life to normal. At least until he could sort out what exactly was going on between them, and why exactly he was feeling this way, he knew he had to keep his distance from Lance and prevent anymore... incidents from happening.

With an expression of newfounded determination, Keith pushed himself off the floor and marched toward his apartment across the hall. He was ready to face Shiro, ready to put all of this behind him, but when he opened the door the room was dark and empty. He finally found Shiro in their bed, fast asleep, and he quietly tiptoed around him and got ready for bed. When he finally slipped under the covers, he snuggled up against that warm familiar body, as if asking for acceptance and forgiveness even though Shiro wasn’t aware of it. As if instinctively, Shiro swung an arm around him and pulled him closer, allowing Keith to snuggle his head into the crook of his neck.

“You were gone for awhile.” Shiro murmured, his eyes still closed and his voice groggy with sleep.

“Sorry, Hunk invited me to stay for dinner and you know Lance never shuts up.” Keith responded, picking his words carefully to keep from lying even further to the other man.

“Can’t argue with Hunk’s cooking.” Shiro chuckled, and he tightened his grip on Keith, like he had been worried about him but was glad that he was back now. Keith couldn’t explain why the gesture hurt so much, but it hung heavy in his chest, and he found himself snuggling closer to the other man to try and quell his worries.

“I love you.” Keith whispered into the darkness, needing more than ever to hear the words back.

But a response never came, and instead Shiro’s soft snores filled the room. The unanswered confession set heavy in his stomach, weighing him down, and he couldn’t sleep with its pressure suffocating him.

* * *

 Two days passed in this new routine that Keith was having a hard time getting accustomed to. It was Friday night, exactly one week after his and Shiro’s major fight and almost break up, and Keith was sitting in his pajamas on the couch watching old documentaries on the History channel and waiting for his boyfriend to get home. In these past two days, he had sex with Lance 3 more times and Shiro not all. So, it was pretty safe to say that Mission: Avoid Lance Completely had epically failed, and extremely quickly at that. But luckily during these days he had found a lot more time to sort through his feelings and figure out his emotions, or more like he just couldn’t seem to stop thinking about it. And damn did, he have a lot to think about.

For one, the guilt was eating him alive, and he wasn’t sure how much longer he could keep living this lie. He loved Shiro more than anyone or anything, could picture himself spending the rest of his life with him, couldn’t imagine a world without him in it. But Lance was the exact opposite of Shiro, and made up tenfold everywhere Shiro was lacking. He was loud and goofy and funny and didn’t give a damn about responsibility or routine. He was spontaneous, risk taking, and provided an excitement to Keith’s life that he never knew he had been missing. And when they had sex, Oh _God._ Keith didn’t think he would ever find the words to describe it. It was rough but gentle, casual but passionate, foreign but familiar, and he _craved_ it. Even now just thinking about it made him want to get up and walk over to Lance’s apartment and fuck the shit out of him for the second time today. He was so curious because it was always so different and new, Lance was always experimenting, trying new things on him, and constantly finding new ways to take Keith apart. And Keith couldn’t complain because he always delivered, always drove Keith to the edge, and was always open and ready. He hadn’t rejected Keith’s advances once since they started this, and had even walked all the way across campus to his work place once just to fuck him in the storage closet.

But, while Lance didn’t say no, he didn’t say anything really. In fact, instead of occasional dirty talk and Keith’s nicknames, sex was when Lance was the quietest ever, conversation wise at least. And, while Keith usually would appreciate it, he was desperate for communication about what was going on and to finally know what Lance was thinking about all of this, where this sudden sexual confrontation was coming from on his side. It was obvious that he knew to keep it a secret since he hadn’t even told Hunk, but that wasn’t enough closure for Keith anymore. He _needed_ to know what Lance was thinking because… well, because Lance was growing on him.

Of course they had been friends before all of this, and sure the sex had started out of just pure lust, but Keith couldn’t deny it had evolved into something more. It didn’t even come close to reaching the developed and matured love he felt for Shiro, but it was still there. It was like a small string tugging at the edge of his heart everytime Lance crossed his mind, or walked into a room, or smiled down at him, or called him “my starboy.” Even now, Keith was blushing just thinking about him like a middle schooler with a crush on the boy next door. But in a way, it felt like that. It felt like first love, like the first time he had started developing feelings for Shiro, like warm fondness tickling at his insides and making him feel grounded but weightless all at once. It was a happy feeling, and he relished in it, until he remembered Shiro.

He had to tell Shiro, before this got out of hand. If he fell for Lance, a boy who only used him for sex and saw him as a literal piece of meat, and would never, _could never_ , like him back, he would never recover. His emotional stability was fragile enough as it was, and he knew that this kind of heartbreak would push him over the edge. And, if somehow he lost Shiro as well because of all of this, then there would be no hope of recovery. Shiro was his rock, his beacon of hope, his light towards a better, healthier future, and he wasn’t sure how he would be able to get through a breakup with Shiro without having Shiro to help him through it. But maybe if he told Shiro now, and things did go out of hand, he would be able to run to Lance. He could never replace Shiro with Lance, because Lance didn’t have a year of expertise on how to comfort Keith through his hard times, but he would be better than nothing. He would be way better than nothing actually, because maybe he would smile at him and brush his hair out of his face and call him his starboy. Maybe he would take care of him like the last time him and Shiro fought, and maybe things would change but they would still be okay.

But if he was going to tell Shiro, he was going to have to tell him now, before his feelings for Lance developed to the point of no return. Because then, even if Shiro did forgive him, he knew in his heart that he wouldn’t be able to let go of Lance, and he knew he couldn’t have both of them. Right now, the choice was still easy, the choice was Shiro, completely, undoubtedly, and with no hesitation. But, everytime he stared into those ocean eyes, counted freckles like stars while he tried to fall asleep, or let those fingers take him apart one by one, that decision became harder and harder to make.

So he swallowed his pride, snuggled down further into the blankets, and waited for Shiro to come home. He wouldn’t talk himself out of it this time. He was determined to set things straight and finally not feel so fucking confused about his own damn life anymore. He needed to solve this one problem at a time, and the first step was talking to Shiro and coming clean. So he focused on his documentary and waited, rehearsing what he was going to say over and over in his head.

Keith jumped when he heard the doorknob turning several minute later, his body humming with adrenaline as the door swung open and Shiro let himself into the apartment. He took a few breaths to calm himself down, and only dared to look up when he was sure his face was composed.

“Welcome home.” He announced, giving Shiro a small smile.

“Thanks.” Shiro responded, walking over to him and placing a soft kiss on the top of his head. The kiss burned in its gentleness, with all of the warmth and love that was poured into such an innocent gesture, and it took everything in him not to flinch away. He didn’t deserve Shiro’s love like this, not after everything he had done, and everything he was about to do.

“Movie night?” Shiro wondered as he walked into the kitchen to set his stuff down, bringing up the tradition they had been upholding every week since they moved in together. Every week but last week that is, and that thought hurt a little more than it should. “Did you eat yet? Or should I order food?” Shiro continued when Keith didn’t respond, and he could hear the older man rummaging around in the kitchen.

It was now or never. He gulped down all of his fears and insecurities, took in a shaky breath, and pushed the words out.

“Actually… can we talk?” He asked, his voice small and unsure. He still couldn’t see Shiro from where he was sitting on the couch, but he heard him freeze up as his movements silenced, the seriousness of Keith’s words cutting through the air in the room like a knife.

“Of course.” He heard Shiro say, and suddenly he was next to the couch. Keith realized he must have almost ran to him to get there so quickly, and he wondered why Shiro was so worried if he had no idea what Keith was going to say yet. And suddenly, Keith wondered if he was worried about something else, if he had also been hiding something from Keith as well. “What’s wrong?”

Keith opened his mouth to explain, but he found his throat dry and his tongue heavy in his mouth. Even after all the worrying and rehearsing in his mind of what he was going to say, seeing Shiro sitting in front of him now left him completely speechless. All the preparation was completely irrelevant, because he could never have anticipated Shiro’s worried expression, the way his eyes dulled with fear, and his brows furrowed with concern. He knew he couldn’t explain what happened drizzled with excuses and reasoning like he had planned, because in that moment he realized it was all wrong. Everything he had done to Shiro was wrong and he had no justification for any of it. But he also knew he couldn’t pull out, and that Shiro wouldn’t let him brush this off anyway, so he decided to just wing it and narrate what happened as plainly and honestly as he could.

He dragged his eyes away from the man across from him and licked his lips before starting from the beginning.

“When we fought last week, I got mad and stormed out and spent the weekend at Lance and Hunk’s place.” He began, looking up briefly to see Shiro nod in confirmation of the information he was already aware of. He found that he had to look away again before he could continue. “I was mad, like really really mad. And I was sulking for the entire weekend and it was just building up inside of me, and I guess I just wanted to hurt you? Because I didn’t realize that you were hurting too, and I didn’t think it was fair that I was the only one who was in pain. And I know that that sounds really immature and childish, but I didn’t care about anything anymore, I-”

“Keith, what happened?” Shiro interjected, interrupting Keith’s rambling with his own urgent tone. Keith looked into his eyes and only saw as he got more worried the more he made assumptions in his own mind, but Keith wondered if he could assume this. If he could guess that Keith would do something so terrible. And, as if sensing Keith recoiling and closing up, he reached out and took his hand, rubbing gentle circles into his palms. “Whatever it is, we can get through it together. You just have to tell me.” He urged, and Keith actually felt a little better after hearing that. Like maybe this didn’t mean an automatic breakup. Maybe it would be hard and challenging, but they had gotten through so much before, and maybe this would be no different.

He closed his eyes, tightened his grip on Shiro’s hands, and spit the words out before he could talk himself out of it.

“I slept with Lance.”

Silence.

Even with the TV playing in the background and Keith’s heart pounding in his ears, the silence that stretched after that confession was agonizing in the way it carved a large void out of Keith’s chest. He felt like he had ripped out his heart and was offering it out to Shiro like a measly piece of meat, and he felt his grip around it tightening, suffocating him, with every passing second.

“You what?” Shiro asked, his voice low and so foreign that Keith had to look up to make sure it was still Shiro sitting in front of him. He was confused though because the voice was also laced with disbelief. But not just disbelief, an urgent kind of disbelief, and Keith was confused as to where the emotion was coming from.

“Don’t make me say it again.” Keith pleaded, knowing he wouldn’t be able to repeat himself. It hurt way too much, this all hurt way too much. But Shiro was still here holding his hand, he hadn’t run away yet, and that had to count for something.

There was another silence, and Keith studied Shiro’s face. A wave of different emotions flickered past his eyes, each as foreign and confusing as the one before, and Keith gave up trying to interpret them all.

“When.” He finally asked, but it came out more as a demand then a question.

“Monday.” Keith muttered, not knowing how much he should say.

“And that’s it?” Shiro asked, and Keith wondered what his angle was. He was reacting really strangely, like there was some bigger picture that Keith wasn’t aware of, and Keith once again wondered if Shiro knew something that he didn’t.

He gulped as he realize he had to confess something else, that the sex was ongoing for a while and not just a one time thing. And he wondered if Shiro would take that so well, or if it would finally be enough to push him over the edge.

“...and Tuesday, and Wednesday, and twice yesterday.” Keith listed, and he could feel his body trembling with adrenaline as the truth finally came out, his voice getting smaller but his body swelling as he got ready to run. There was no way Shiro would accept this, no way he would get out of this without a broken heart, and he felt his vision blurring as he continued. “And today too.”

Shiro leaned back, letting go of Keith’s hands, and Keith realized this was it, this was the end. He could feel tears streaming down his face as he waited for the anger and the screaming, all of which he completely and utterly deserved. But it never came, and when he looked up he froze.

Shiro was _smiling._ His face was excited, ecstatic almost, like a little kid on Christmas morning. Keith was suddenly so confused that it overpowered all of his other stormy emotions.

“So you didn’t just sleep with Lance,” he began, and he was on the verge of laughing now. Keith was almost a little offended to be honest as he blinked through his tears at him, his eyebrows scrunched in confusion. “You’re sleeping with Lance, as in like actively?”

And all Keith could do was nod his head, not sure how else to respond to the unexpected gesture.

“Oh, thank God.” He exclaimed, breathing a sigh of relief. “I am too, and it was literally killing me.”

Wait.

“WHAT?!” Keith practically yelled. Now _he_ was in disbelief. Had he heard him correctly? Was this some kind of joke? Shiro didn’t exactly joke around, and when he did it was pretty bad. Shiro also never lied, and knew better then to lie about something like this.

And suddenly Shiro was back, face composed, and taking Keith’s hands in his own. Keith was too stunned to move away, too shocked to protest. He didn’t know what to do, what to say, and all he could do was sit there and wait for an explanation.

“It was on Monday too.” Shiro began, and that hurt a little in a way Keith couldn’t explain yet. But he forced himself to listen, refused to allow his brain to start jumping to conclusions until he had heard everything Shiro had to say. “We walked home from class together since you weren’t there, and we talked about you the entire time. I was so worried and hurt and I felt terrible about everything and he ended up coming back here with me and…”

Shiro paused as if trying to find the words to describe what happened, to figure out the emotions that passed in that moment. Keith’s mind was racing at the new information. The more Shiro talked the more the story sounded believable, the more the pieces started falling into place and everything lined up, the more he realized this couldn’t be just a joke.

“...and we ended up sleeping together. I guess I was kind of sad and lonely and Lance was just there and available?” He said it more as a question then a statement, like he also wasn’t completely sure how it happened. And Keith couldn’t even complain because he also understood, or also didn’t understand how he ended up sleeping with Lance. It just made sense in the moment and kind of… happened. Keith couldn’t put it into words. “Plus, Lance was being like strangely flirty, like more than usual… I don’t know. But, it was my fault. I initiated it, and there was no excuse.”

Keith had to sit back as he processed the information. The two situations were so eerily similar, and Keith wondered how Lance had managed to play them both. He knew Lance was smarter than he looked, but damn this was some next class manipulation. Was it manipulation though? Or was Lance just aware of a weakness they both already possessed but were just unaware of. A weakness for Lance, apparently.

“And then he went back to his apartment and had sex with me.” Keith added, crossing the two timelines in his mind. “It was the same thing. I hadn’t even considered it until he showed up being all flirty and suggestive and just available and I indulged. I started it too.”

“When did you sleep with him again?” And Keith was taken aback by how casual the statement was, and the reality of the situation hit him all at once like a brick wall. Here he was, sitting with his boyfriend of one year, discussing how they had just casually cheated on each other with the same man. No big deal.

“...the next morning.” Keith mumbled, a little ashamed that he had slept with Lance twice in a row. “You?” He asked, trying to direct the attention away from him.

“Oh my God.” Shiro said, dropping his face into his hands as he started to realize the correlation between the two timelines. “He came over that morning wanting to talk and we ended up having sex again. It was right after you would usually leave for class. He probably waited for you to leave and then came over.”

Keith snorted. “He played both of us.”

“But, Keith, I felt so terrible after the first time. I was distraught and guilt ridden. When he came back over I was an actual mess. Even more of a mess then after our fight before. When he came over he comforted me and stuff and somehow it just happened again.” Shiro explained, and Keith could hear the agony in his voice, the guilt that he had probably also been harboring this past week seeping into his emotions. “I’m so sorry I didn’t tell you, but I was just so worried. I didn’t want to hurt you anymore than I already had, I was worried you wouldn’t be able to handle so much distress. I was going to tell you but I wanted to give it more time after our fight. I realize now that it was just an excuse, though. I should’ve told you immediately and I’m so _so_ sorry, Keith.”

Keith gulped as the words settled in. “Listen, five minutes ago I was worried about losing you forever. We both made mistakes, we both learned from them, and we’re both sorry, and that’s all that matters.” He encouraged, giving a small smile. Shiro smiled back, and Keith could physically see the relief falling off his shoulders and hope glittering in his eyes. He had been so caught up in his own melodrama, he had failed to see how Shiro had also been stressed out and dealing with his on emotional mess.

“So, you’re not mad at me?” Shiro asked, just to make sure. His grin only growing as Keith chuckled in response.

“I’m pretty sure you could literally kill someone at this point and I wouldn’t care.” Keith teased, only slightly exaggerating. He really would go to the moon for Shiro, would sacrifice anything, would follow him anywhere. “I love you.” He added, because it just felt right in that moment.

“I love you, too.” Shiro added, leaning in to place a gentle kiss on his mouth, and it felt good to hear it back. Keith’s heart was soaring, his chest felt weightless, as if all of his problems had dissolved around him. It was like he could suddenly stand straighter, breathe deeper, and think clearer. The relief that washed over him was intoxicating. The air was finally cleared between them, his greatest fears were dissolved, and he felt like he could truly relax. That was except for one thing.

“Uh… Shiro, what do we do about Lance?” Keith wondered, and Shiro straightened up like he had also forgotten about that small detail.

“Oh, yeah.” Shiro remembered, glancing at him like he also wasn’t completely sure. “What do you want to do?”

Keith rolled the question through his mind, pondering the outcomes for a second. He honestly didn’t think he would get this far, hadn’t considered for even a moment that things would go so well. And it was strange that their situations were so similar, that maybe Shiro could have been feeling the same way about Lance as he was.

“Shiro,” he began, turning to his boyfriend with a serious expression as he tried to decide on the right words to say in the moment. “The reason I kept sleeping with Lance even after the first time was because… well, it was just really fucking good. That boy has a natural talent, I can’t explain it.”

Shiro shot up at that, eyes wide in shock. “Me too! I didn’t want to say anything, but it was so inexplicably good. Like it wasn’t that sex with you was bad, it’s just that sex with Lance was literally out of this world.”

“Ugh, I know.” Keith groaned, falling back onto the couch and rubbing his hand down his face in annoyance. It just wasn’t fucking fair, okay. “Those fingers will literally be the death of me. I can’t look at hands the same way anymore.”

“Okay, but what about his tongue?” Shiro pointed out in complete seriousness.

Keith shot up. “Did he eat you out too?! Why have we never tried that before?!” Keith exclaimed, gripping Shiro’s arm in urgency. It felt so good to be able to talk to someone about this finally, but it also felt so good just to be able to talk to Shiro like this again. There was no walls or secrets between them anymore, and they could finally be open and honest and just comfortable with each other again. And it just felt so refreshing to have his best friend back, Keith wouldn’t change it for the world.

“Maybe we should try it.” Shiro suggested, leaning in with a sly grin.

“I don’t know. I’m fine when Lance does it, but I don’t know how I feel about sticking my tongue down there.” Keith only half joked, but Shiro laughed anyway. Damn, that laugh was so good to hear. Keith wasn’t sure how long it had been since he last heard it, but it was definitely too long.

“But, it’s not just that, Shiro.” Keith continued, and Shiro quieted down when he noticed the seriousness in his tone. Keith knew that after all of this he had to tell Shiro the truth about everything, not just the sex. While Shiro was his boyfriend, he was also his best friend, and he knew he was the only one who could help him sort out the feelings that had also been surfacing. “At first, it was just really good sex. But, I think it’s become something more than that. I think… I might be developing feelings for him.”

“I understand.” Shiro said, taking Keith’s hand and rubbing it again as he sensed his boyfriend’s distress. “He really did comfort me through our fight, and was probably single handedly the only reason why I got through it. Being with him, whether sexualy or just platonically, it was really my only distraction from everything going on. I think, I’ve also started to care for him in a way, maybe more than I should have or wanted to admit, to myself or anyone else.”  
It hurt a little to hear that, the reflexive jealousy coiling in his stomach. While he had feelings for Lance as well, Shiro was still his boyfriend, and hearing this made him feel a little insecure. He knew it was immature and unfounded, and he tried to brush it away, but he knew it was a feeling he would have to resolve over time.

“If it wasn’t for you-” They both said simultaneously, and they froze when the realization of the statement hit each of them. Keith gasped behind his hand as he realized what they were both implying.

“I would be interested in him?” Shiro offered, finishing the sentence for the both of them. And Keith nodded behind his hand.

“Shiro, I would choose you in a heartbeat. For the rest of my life, I would always choose you. But, I can’t lie to you anymore, and, if I’m being honest, I don’t want to give him up.” Keith explained, hoping he hadn’t come off wrong.

“Looks like we both want the same thing.” Shiro smiled, and Keith felt his heart leap out of his chest. Never, in a million years did he ever think he would be able to have both of them, but here the opportunity was, brilliant and bright as the future that gleamed in front of him.

“Is this really happening? Are we really going to do this?” Keith wondered, the excitement giddy in his voice.

“I guess we have to ask Lance.”

* * *

 Keith and Shiro sat on the couch in silence waiting for Lance to arrive. They had gone over what they wanted to say, deciding that Shiro would do most of the talking since he was more patient and composed in terms of confrontation compared to Keith. They had also decided to address the cheating at the beginning and assess Lance’s intentions before they proposed any sort of long term arrangement between the three of them.

Keith had texted Lance on his phone, a simple message that read “Shiro’s not home tonight, do you want to come over?” and received a thumbs up almost immediately in response despite the late hour. Keith was nervous and fidgeting with his thumbs, glad that Shiro was going to take the lead on this. When he heard the doorknob rattling, he immediately stood up in response, his adrenaline kicking in all at once.

“Damn mullet, twice in one day?” The familiar voice came chanting from the front door, and it sent shivers down Keith’s spine. That voice was so familiar but so foreign all at once, and he didn’t like the insecurity that fell over him whenever it was directed towards him. He needed certainty, he needed closure, he _needed_ this to work out. “I better get some dinner out of this, this ass is not cheap-”

Lance froze when his eyes landed on Shiro sitting on the couch, and Keith thought for a moment that he might run back out of the apartment. But, the uncertainty only flashed across his expression for a second, and as quickly as it had come it was gone, flawlessly being masked by his usual confident and self assured demeanor. Keith hated that mask, hated how visibly he had seen Lance slip it on, and he wanted to pin him to the wall just to watch it melt away.

“I know you suck at math, but I’m basically doing your homework at this point.” Lance lied easily, and Keith was slightly impressed at how smoothly he had come up with it. “What’s up Shiro?” Lance acknowledged as he walked further into the room, hovering behind the couch now.

“Lance, I think you should sit down.” Shiro instructed. Keith was watching Lance carefully now, and he saw the glint of fear that crossed his expression. Lance was smart, he knew he had been found out.

“Is this some kind of intervention? Because if you guys want me to stop barging in here it’s your fault for leaving the door unlocked, just saying.” He rambled, and Keith only raised an eyebrow at him. The man was really good at coming up with excuses on the sly and dodging out of sticky situations, and Keith could only imagine how his childhood must’ve been like to have developed such a talent.

“Lance, it’s over.” Shiro stated, and now he was using his dad voice. Keith smirked slightly when he saw Lance somewhat shaken by it. It was a powerful weapon, and he was glad to have it on his side this time. “We know you’ve been sleeping with both of us.”

Keith expected Lance to be worried at being figured out, or scared of the consequences of his actions, but instead he looked disappointed, his expression deflating. Lance’s smile fell and the color left his eyes, and it reminded Keith of a child who had his video games unplugged by his parents. Not that he was mad or worried, but just upset that the fun was over.

“What, are you going to lecture me now, _dad_?” Lance complained, leaning on the back of the couch so his face was more level with Shiro. “Why don’t we just skip to the punishment?” He suggested, smirking down at the other man. Keith had to admit, it was a little weird seeing Lance talk to Shiro so openly sexual in that way, and seeing the slight blush that bloomed across Shiro’s cheekbones in response. He also had to admit, it was kind of hot and he honestly didn’t want it to stop.

“Lance, please behave yourself.” Shiro lectured, hiding his face behind his hand in a gesture meant to be of disappointment, but Keith recognized all too well to be embarrassment. That's when he realized he was embarrassed of Keith seeing the power Lance had over him in terms of sexual desire, but also the dirtiness of their sexual encounters. What Shiro didn’t notice however, was that Keith was having a great time just observing the whole thing, and was extremely curious to witness this side of Shiro that he wasn’t acquainted with. “We’re not mad, we just want to talk.”

“Of course you’re not mad, you can’t be mad.” Lance pointed out as he came around to the front of the couch, now eye level with Keith who was also still standing for some reason. “That was the point. If I fucked both of you, it was the only way I could get away with cheating without being a homewrecker.”

“Yeah, that’s the part we don’t understand. Why exactly did you want to sleep with us?” Shiro asked, his voice much calmer than Keith was feeling right now, and Keith was suddenly extremely grateful that he was leading the discussion.

Lance laughed like Shiro had told a joke but neither of them understood it. “I don’t know if you guys have noticed, but you’re literally the hottest pieces of ass on this campus. I crushed on Keith for a _year_ in high school and he never even looked twice at me, and then I only managed to move on after I met you, Shiro, in college. Then I also crushed on you for like a year, only for you to date fucking Keith of all people. Which was terrible, but also so hot. Like, I jacked off thinking about you guys together so many times. This past year was probably the most sexually constipated of my entire life-”

“Lance.” Shiro interjected, obviously implying that he get to the point.

“Right, anyway. So when you guys fought, I thought this was my once in a lifetime opportunity to get a piece of the action, you know before you guys got, like, married. It was honestly just a thought in the back of my mind, not some master plan like you guys are implying. I honestly wasn’t even sure it was going to work, but here we are, I guess.” Lance finished with a shrug, like this whole thing was just one small oopsie and not the giant emotional shitshow it actually was.

“So this was just… sex to you?” Keith finally spoke, and he was initially angry at himself for how pathetic and vulnerable his voice sounded, like a kicked puppy. But he stopped regretting it when he noticed the expression on Lance’s face shifting into something more open and honest rather than the cocky asshole he walked in as. And, Keith realized, the mask was slowly slipping away.

Lance sighed, like what he was about to say was physically exhausting. “It was never about the sex, Keith.” And the use of Keith’s real name rather than a goofy nickname struck a serious chord over the conversation that he hadn’t been expecting from Lance's side. “I’ve been in love with both of you since the moment I met you, while you guys never even gave me a second glance. I was always the third wheel.” And now Lance sounded like a kicked puppy, his words squeezing tightly around Keith’s heart.

Without thinking about it, Keith reached out to Lance and pulled him down towards the couch so he was sitting between the two of them. He didn’t make eye contact, continuing to wear the solemn expression from before, but it was beautiful to Keith. Lance’s face, even when it was twisted with painful, raw emotions was beautiful, because vulnerability was gorgeous on him.

“Lance,” Keith began, and Lance turned to face him. Keith prayed his expression was vulnerable and earnest too, because it was something he was bad at conveying but knew was necessary in this moment, “When we first met in high school, I wasn’t emotionally ready to date anyone, not just you. Shiro is older, more mature, patient and he has been through his fair share of grief and trauma. He taught me how to open up to other people, to trust others, and be dependent on someone other than myself.” Keith gulped, his voice wavering but he pushed himself forward, forced himself to not break eye contact. He would be strong for Lance, because Lance deserved it. “Looking back, I think I liked you too, have always been interested in you. But before I met Shiro, I didn’t understand those emotions, and didn’t know how to convey them or act on them. I mentally couldn’t have handled being with you before, romantically or sexually or even platonically to be completely honest. But I’m ready now. I’m ready and willing.”

And Lance straightened up at that. “Wait, what?” He asked, looking between the two of them like he hadn’t heard him correctly.

“We talked about it, and we both have developed feelings for you. Not just over the course of this week, but over the entire time that we’ve known you.” Shiro explained, and Keith was glad he was taking the reins. That was enough emotional bonding for one day, and Keith was mentally exhausted just from that one confession. “We want to give us a try. The three of us, if you’re up for it.”

“You guys just want more of the mind-blowing sex.” Lance claimed immediately, and there he was again, completely underestimating himself. It hurt when Lance revealed his true insecurities like this, when he showed how little he actually cared about himself. Keith would do anything to be able to show Lance the world through his eyes, to describe to him all the little parts of him that made Keith’s chest swell and his heart soar.

“We actually talked about what we wanted, if it was just the sexual favors or if it was something more.” Shiro explained, his voice thoughtful and composed and not once hindered by Lance’s arguments. “We both agreed that it wasn’t just about the sex anymore and we have both started developing feelings for you. We want more.”

Lance’s next breath came out as a shudder, and his eyes swelled as he processed what Shiro was saying. Keith had never seen Lance cry before, but in that moment he thought he would. Lance’s eyes glossed over, their rims becoming a bright red, and his bottom lip puckered out while his chin wrinkled. Keith’s heart stuttered at seeing him like this, not just because of the openness and vulnerability of his expression which ws usually hidden behind a mask, but also at the realization of the sheer emotion that Lance must’ve felt for them. And, he wondered how he could’ve gone the past three years of his life without realizing it, without truly _seeing_ Lance and all of his love and affection. And Keith felt like an idiot for missing it, like the stupidest person in the world for ever almost letting an opportunity like Lance fucking Espinosa pass him by.

Keith pulled on his shirt to get his attention, and Lance turned to him immediately, like he was eager to hear whatever Keith had to say, and it made Keith’s heart swell a little. “Is that a yes?” He asked gently, innocently.

Lance’s solemn expression broke into a wide grin, one of his blinding smiles that reminded Keith of the sun and he loved more than anything. “That’s a fucking hell yeah, that’s what it is.”

And now Keith couldn’t keep the joy off his expression, felt the way his smile pushed his cheeks up and crinkled his eyes. His chest was so warm, his head so light, everything so good, he couldn’t help himself. He had literally gotten everything he could have ever wanted, the two people he loved most in the world, and he was intoxicated by the feeling of love and happiness swelling in the room.

“You should smile more often.” Lance suggested, and Keith didn’t miss the glint of affection in his eyes as he looked down at him. The two only stared at each other, smiling widely as they took in the moment and the warm feeling, before Shiro cut in.

“I’m sorry, I don’t want to ruin the moment, but I have to ask.” Shiro apologized, and both boys looked over to him with interest. “How _was_ the sex so good? Like, how did you learn how to do that?”

Lance laughed, hard, at that, and Shiro and Keith had to give him a second to calm down. “You two are both such oblivious idiots” He chuckled, shaking his head in disbelief. “I’ve been fantasizing about having sex with you two for the past two years, three for Keith. I literally have a laundry list of things I want to do with you guys in bed.”

“Is there anything on that list you still want to try?” Keith asked, not being able to help himself, and he watched Lance shiver next to him as he practically purred the suggestion.

“Oh my God.” Lance said, his expression open with awe. “Are we about to have a threesome?” He asked, his tone hesitant, but his eyes lit up like a child about to open a present. “Because that’s also on my list.”

“It’s on our list too.” Shiro said, his voice low and deep, and Keith could hear the desire laced around it. Shiro put an arm around Lance, and Keith could see the goosebumps that erupted across his skin. He was seriously about to have a threesome with Shiro and Lance, this was actually going to happen, and his heart was pounding with excitement.

“But this time,” Keith began, leaning in closer, and he was already blushing at the next words he was going to say. But he couldn’t start getting embarrassed now, because Lance deserved the world and more, and he knew this is was only the start. “You’re going to sit back and relax, and we’re going to do all of the work.”

He saw Lance visibly shiver, his pupils blowing wide, and he could only imagine what was going through his mind right now.

Shiro was the first to move, standing up from the couch and practically pulling the other two men up with him and leading them to the bedroom. While Keith would usually complain about boring, vanilla, bedroom sex, he couldn’t help but agree with him this time. This would be the first time they ever tried something like this, and it would be better if they were on a large, comfortable bed with the largest scope of movement. So he complied with the gesture and held Lance’s hand the short distance while Shiro gripped their shoulders and led them forward.

He gasped in surprise, however when they got to the bed and Shiro pushed them both down roughly, sending the boys sprawling against each other on the soft mattress. Keith looked up with what must of been shock written across his face, because Shiro’s expression immediately twisted into one of guilt.

“Oh my God, Keith, I’m so sorry. I forgot we’ve never done that before.” Shiro immediately apologized, scrambling over himself to try and amend the awkward situation.

“Done what before?” Keith asked, helplessly confused on whatever Shiro was referring to.

“Your boyfriend is a kinky little shit.” Lance explained for him, a wicked grin plastered across his face. Keith only sent him a confused look, and Lance had to clarify. “He likes to be dominant, BDSM, daddy kink, the whole nine yards.”

And Keith snorted in response. Shiro was always so gentle with him, so slow, careful to have Keith’s consent for every little thing and made sure to never over step his boundaries. Hearing this however, and trying to envision it in his mind, made his skin tingle and warmth pool in his gut. He wanted to see it, wanted to feel it, and he realized that this was the most turned on he had felt thinking about Shiro in a long time. But, it just sounded so fucking _good._

“It’s funny though,” Lance continued, this time turning on his side to face Keith and directing his words at him. “You love to be dominated, you’re completely submissive, and low key kind of a pillow princess. You guys were literally made to have mind blowing sex together if you weren’t such fucking oblivious idiots.”

Now Keith was blushing. He had never thought about it that way, had never tried to analyze what they were doing during sex before. But, now that Lance was saying it outloud, he couldn’t help but admit that it made sense, well minus the pillow princess part. He loved it when Lance took control, pushed him out of his comfort zones, and was just really rough and demanding with him. It was slightly embarrassing to admit to himself, much less out loud, but now that the thought had revealed itself there was no denying it.

“I’m not a fucking pillow princess.” Keith argued instead, pushing Lance’s face and his shit eating grin away from him on the bed. Lance only snickered and leaned in instead, placing a gentle and almost chaste kiss against his lips.

The sentiment was cute, Keith would admit, and so unlike Lance that it took him by surprise at first. But as much as he loved the thought of just sitting here and kissing Lance like this for hours, it wasn’t what he wanted right now, what his body needed right now. So, he pushed further, deepening the kiss, and reveled in the way Lance responded to the heat instantly, pushing back with that same force that Keith loved.

He was desperate for more contact, hungry for more of Lance, and pulled the boy even closer to him with urgency, feverishly pushing their bodies together. The change in weight had Keith falling back against the mattress, but Keith’s hands locked tightly around Lance forced him down with him, so his body was hovering over him. Lance, taking advantage of their new position, threw a leg over him so he was straddling Keith’s hips, and grinded down against him.

Keith was so caught up in the friction, so distracted by the heat that Lance had managed to erupt inside him that he didn’t even notice the dip in the bed until Lance froze on top of him. Keith was about to protest the lack of movement, when he opened his eyes and was granted with the site of Shiro’s sharp jawline as he kissed down the side of Lance’s neck. He knew he should be jealous that Shiro had just managed to capture Lance’s attention away from him, but it was so _hot_ that Keith couldn’t manage to feel anything but arousal as he stared up at the two like a drooling teenager who had just discovered porn for the first time.

Shiro’s eyes were filled with a focused intensity that Keith had never witnessed on him before, and his brows were furrowed with determination like getting Lance off was his highest and most urgent priority at the moment. But the most salacious of it all was Shiro’s strong, broad hand clamped around Lance’s neck, as if trying to hold him in place in the most obscene way possible. Keith only wondered for a brief second if he might be hurting Lance, the death grip looking as painful as it was erotic, but one glance at Lance dismissed that thought immediately. He was moaning loudly, craning his head to allow Shiro better access to his neck, and Keith could literally feel Lance squirming on top of him where there bodies were still closely pressed together.

“Too many clothes.” Shiro practically growled at them, and it was enough to make Keith jump out of his trance from watching the two. His voice was low and rough, like his dad voice but tensed with sexual desire. It was dirty and demanding in a way Keith had never anticipated before, and he shuddered at the notion.

Lance responded immediately, tugging at his shirt and pulling it over his head, almost ripping the fabric in his haste. And then Shiro was back at his neck, leaving a dark red trail as he moved down to the exposed shoulder, and Keith was lost again.

“Keith.” Shiro called, the foreign tone still deep in his voice. And Keith stared at him confused for a second before Lance was tugging at the hem of his shirt, and Keith remembered Shiro’s command from earlier. He had been so content to just sit back and watch the two, that he had forgotten that he was also supposed to be a participator.

It only took a second to pull the shirt off, and by the time he looked back at the pair, they were back at it. Shiro’s kisses had gone low enough that his face was hidden, but Lance’s face and tensed expressions were still visible from where he hovered over Keith. And damn, was it a fucking good view. Keith suddenly felt so useless watching them getting off to each other while he just layed here and watched, and for a second he wondered if maybe he _was_ a pillow princess.

“Something wrong, princess?” Lance teased from above him, with that smug smile back on his face, the expression tensed from whatever Shiro was doing to him. Keith frowned at the nickname, wondering how Lance had managed to read his thoughts so easily, and decided to take it as a challenge instead.

He cupped Lance’s face and pulled him down to him, continuing the gentle kisses from earlier, and Lance hummed in response. Keith let his other hand however, wander south, down the exposed chest, over those toned abs, until it rested hooked to his waistband. Lance moaned into his mouth at the teasing, and Keith almost broke the kiss from smiling too hard, so satisfied he was with Lance’s reaction. And then finally he let his hand cross that barrier and dip underneath Lance’s jeans over his briefs. Lance responded immediately, grinding into his palm like Keith was the only person in the world that mattered at the moment. Shiro who? Obviously Lance couldn’t remember right now.

Lance was panting as Keith began to massage him through his underwear, the kiss having long since been forgotten once the two had become more preoccupied, and pressed their foreheads together instead. Lance continued to thrust against Keith’s hand, His brows furrowed in exasperation at his desperation for more friction, and Keith could feel him getting harder with every fleeting second.

Keith momentarily wondered if there was something he could do with his mouth to speed up the process, now that Lance was too distracted for kissing, before he decided to latch onto one of Lance’s nipples. Lance yelped in surprise, before moaning loudly something that sounded like Keith’s name. Before Keith could even pull away though, Lance’s hand was there, gripping him in place and pulling at his hair in desperation. Keith reveled in the feeling of being so wanted, of paying back Lance for everything he had given him, of making Lance feel the way that Keith had felt so many times. It was breathtaking, exhilarating, and each noise sent a pulse of heat down to his groin, making him harder even when he hadn’t even been touched yet.

“Keith, please.” And, oh God, hearing Lance beg for him like this should’ve been illegal. “Please-” And he yelped in surprise, and Keith could only assume Shiro was tired of being ignored and had done something to gain Lance’s attention. What he didn’t expect however, when he pulled back and craned his neck around Lance, was to see Shiro’s face buried behind Lance’s exposed ass.

“Oh my God.” Keith huffed as he fell back onto the mattress. He couldn’t believe Shiro had actually done it. That fucker.

“I...know-” Lance strained out between pants, and Keith loved to watch Lance’s face as it scrunched up into different expressions as he tried to physically comprehend what Shiro was doing to him. It was hot, and Keith let his hand fall below his waistline as he attempted to quell his own itch that was growing steadily just from watching this exchange. His pajama pants were loose, and he could see a tent already forming in them, but he still found himself surprised when he pulled the waistband down and his dick sprang out red, swollen, and hard and dripping all over his stomach.

“Shit.” He hissed, when Lance accidentally grinded down against him, shivering at how sensitive he was. Lance was so lost in what Shiro was doing to him that the didn’t even notice how badly Keith was gone, and how intoxicating even just that fleeting moment of friction was for him. Not wanting to get left behind, and realizing this for the competition for Lance’s attention that it was now, Keith sprung into action. He reached out and pulled Lance’s underwear and pants further down so that they pulled around his knees before grabbing both of their dicks in his fist, and stroking them together.

“Oh, fuck!” Lance practically screamed, burying his face into Keith’s neck as if it would help to center himself, and Keith could feel Lance’s nails digging into his shoulders. His hips were stuttering, as if he was trying to get more friction from Keith by thrusting into his fist, but didn’t want to pull away from Shiro’s mouth that was working behind him. He couldn’t make a decision, and it was exhilarating in a way Keith couldn’t describe. ”Keith… Shiro. If you keep this up… I don’t think I can-”  
And suddenly Lance relaxed around him, and Keith realized Shiro must have stopped, so he also halted his movements as well, waiting for the other’s cue before moving on. Lance was panting into his ear, his whole body shivering and covered in a sheen of sweat, and Keith could feel both their dicks dripping precum onto his stomach. He wasn’t sure how much longer Lance would last, but fuck did he never want this to end.

The sound of a wrapper being ripped open froze them both to the spot. This was happening, oh God. He was about to witness Shiro fuck Lance. His heart was hammering against his chest and his skin erupted in goosebumps just in anticipation. He didn’t want to miss a single moment of this, so he pulled Lance’s face back so it was in front of him and he could see every detail of his expression and softly cupped his cheek. His hair curled where it stuck to his forehead from sweat, and those ocean eyes that were usually stormy during sex, now were calm and gentle and Keith swore he could see the sun shining in them. The stars that dusted his cheeks shifted into a gentle smile as his kiss-swollen lips pushed them upwards, and Keith had never seen anyone so beautiful in his life. He never wanted this to end. With Lance looking down at him with those glittering blue eyes that sparkled like galaxies, cradled in his arms and their bodies tangled together like this, he knew that he never wanted to live without this man, couldn’t imagine a world without him in it. In that moment, he knew that-

“I love you.” And Keith only realized he had said the words out loud from the shock that morphed into Lance’s expression. His eyebrows crinkled, and that grin faltered slightly, but most of all his eyes clouded over. Lance opened his mouth to respond, but suddenly he was thrust forward, a moan escaping his lips instead of whatever he was planning to say, and his face twisted into a tense expression.

“Shiro!” Lance screamed as he was thrust forward again, biting his lip to contain himself. It took a couple more thrusts before they found a proper rhythm, and Lance’s body was stiff around him as he thrust back. Keith could see the muscles in his arms flexing, his shoulders tensing, and every nerve of his body on edge as Shiro took him apart one thrust at a time.

Keith suddenly felt useless again. As much as he enjoyed watching this, had to hold himself back to keep from touching himself again and focusing on his own needs, he knew he was here for Lance. Hs job was to pleasure Lance, and he would deliver. But he wasn’t sure how to compete with Shiro in this moment, what he could do that could possibly be better than what Shiro was already giving to him. And then he got an idea.

In one smooth motion, Keith slid further down the bed so his lower body was situated between Shiro’s knees and his upper body was straddled between Lance’s. From here, he had an amazing view of Shiro’s dick as it pounded over and over again into Lance’s tight ass, and Keith almost came at the sight of that alone. But, he had a job to do, and he wasn’t going to let his own needs get in the way.

“Keith, what… are you doing?” He heard Lance questioning between pants, his voice still strained from exertion. He didn’t respond however, and instead leaned up and licked one long stripe up the underside of Lance’s dick. It was swollen and sensitive, and Keith felt it twitching automatically at the small gesture.

“Fuck!” Lance exclaimed, his body tensing and curling in on himself as he tried to contain the overwhelming sensation. Keith didn’t waste anymore time, knowing Lance wouldn’t last much longer like this, and clamped his mouth around his dick, automatically hollowing his cheeks and bobbing his head to try and match Shiro’s rhythm. “Puta mierda, Keith!” Lance called out, and _that_ was new. In all there times together, Lance was always composed and in control, never letting himself go enough to accidentally slip into another language. But Keith fucking loved it, and it just motivated him to suck harder.

Now Lance was losing it, his hips losing rhythm as he attempted to push back against Shiro and also thrust forward into Keith’s mouth.  He could tell Shiro was also close from the grunts he was making, and Keith was sure that if he just barely touched his own dick he would come on impact. But in this moment, the three of them were connected as one, and Keith had faith that this would work out. This moment between them right now was perfect. It wasn’t rough and obscene, fire and ice coming together in a hot storm, and it also wasn’t gentle and slow, overflowing with love and compassion. It was something in between, something intense and passionate and it could only be perfect because it was the three of them together.

Lance shot into Keith’s mouth without warning, but Keith knew him well enough to anticipate it and swallowed him down as his hips sputtered out. He waited patiently for him to ride out his high into his mouth, before finally pulling away and crawling back up the bed to meet his face. His smile was tired, but it still wrinkled his eyes and Keith thought he looked breathtaking. He wanted to kiss him, so he did, because he realized that he could now, and he loved the way Lance’s smile stretched out as he pulled away.

“Lance, I’m so close.” He heard Shiro gasping, and Keith realized he had stopped thrusting when Lance came, but was now starting up again trying to finish himself off. Lance’s smile turned mischievous, and Keith wondered what Lance had in mind when he shot him an expression that said _‘watch this.’_

“Shiro, come here.” Lance instructed, his voice far too innocent for whatever he was going to do. Shiro complied automatically, leaning in so his face was nuzzled behind Lance’s shoulder. They were sandwiched together now, and from here Keith could see the red flush on Shiro’s face and the glazed-over, distant look in his eyes. He looked so completely wrecked it was almost obscene. Seeing Shiro and Lance together had _done things_ to Keith, but now he wondered what it had done to Shiro, because this definitely wasn’t the man he had been having vanilla sex with for almost a year.

Lance turned and spoke into his ear, his voice just loud enough for Keith to hear, and he basically moaned in a tone so filthy it even had Keith’s dick twitching, “Ah, fuck me _daddy_.”

Shiro shouted when he came, his eyes squeezing shut and his knuckles going white as he grasped the bedsheets. Keith could see every muscle in his body flexing, his veins popping and his skin shivering as he let loose inside Lance. It was an exhilarating sight to say the least, to see the composed and immaculate Shiro being completely wrung out within an inch of his life because of two college boys.

“Fuck.” Shiro sighed as he collapsed onto the side of the mattress, the exhaustion taking over him. Lance shivered slightly at the loss of a warm body, but the freeloader decided to collapse on top of Keith instead of anywhere else on the ginormous bed. Two weeks ago Keith would’ve been annoyed, but now he honestly didn’t really mind.

“I didn’t know you had a daddy kink?” Keith laughed, turning his head to stare at Shiro’s worn out expression.

“Shut up,” he groaned, burying his flushed face in the pillows.

“Yeah, it’s so bad.” Lance responded, still panting from the exertion of the sex. “It’s literally his biggest weakness. I can basically say it in any casual situation and he’ll be humping my leg within seconds.”

“That is not true.” Shiro denied, the flush spreading further down his neck as his embarrassment grew.

“Guess I’ll have to try it out for myself.” Keith teased, even though he actually did want to see if it would work. Shiro just groaned and fell back down against the bed in defeat.

Lance shifted slightly to poke fun at Shiro some more, but his thigh brushed against Keith’s dick and he hissed automatically at the forgotten sensitivity that was still building down there.

“Shit.” Keith whispered as he looked down at his still erect penis, swollen and red and dripping with precum, and suddenly he was itching to be touched again. In all his worry to make sure Lance was getting the attention he deserved, he had completely forgotten about himself.

“Oh my God,” Lance exclaimed, glancing down at Keith’s dick before looking back up at him. “The princess never came.” He pointed out, and even Shiro sat up to glance at his... situation.

“Told you I’m not a pillow princess.” Keith grunted, straining himself as he tried to shift further up the bed without rubbing against it anymore.

“Keith, why didn’t you say anything?” Shiro questioned, his voice laced with genuine concern, and Keith was a little surprised at how worried they were about it. It was honestly his fault for getting so distracted by Lance and Shiro to remember to jack off, and now he just felt kind of embarrassed about it.

“I just forgot, I guess.” Keith said, trying to rationalize the situation for himself as well.

“That’s honestly such a Keith thing to do, to be honest.” Lance pointed out. Keith wasn’t sure if it was meant to be an insult, but he assumed on reflex that since it was from Lance it probably was.

“No!” He protested. “I just mean I really wanted you to have a good time, and I guess I was so focused I just… forgot.” Keith watched as Lance’s smug smile fell off of his face, and was replaced by a deep crimson flush. His expression morphed into a mix between shock and overwhelming happiness, and he covered his mouth like he couldn’t contain the emotion. Keith was confused at to what he might’ve said to cause such an intense reaction.

“Keeeeith,” he whined, and, oh God, was that a tear. “You did that, for me? I’m so touched.” And now Keith felt his own blush blooming across his cheeks. He just pouted and looked away, not sure how to respond to the overwhelming affection.

“It’s not that big of a deal, I just-” He began rambling, trying to explain himself, but was cut off when Lance suddenly moved, crawling down his body. Before he knew it, that freckled face was level with his erection, and he only got a wink for a warning before those kiss-swollen lips were stretched around it.

He gasped at the sensitivity, his body immediately reacting to the touch and thrusting upwards. He forced himself back down, worried he had hurt Lance, but the man only took a couple seconds to adjust before he was back at it. His head bobbed up and down, feverishly licking and sucking and hitting every sensitive spot like he had personally studied Keith’s dick. Which he kind of did, if Keith really thought about it. But Keith couldn’t think about anything other then the warm slick of Lance’s tounge against him, and how incredibly hot the room was getting, and the squirming of his body writhing in protest as he tried to keep himself from thrusting upward. It was too hot, too sensitive, too good, and Keith knew he couldn’t take it much longer, especially not after how hard he had already been to start with.

But then Shiro joined him.

And Keith had never been religious before, but he knew that this feeling, this moment right now, was something he could worship for the rest of his life. He knew he must be going to hell after this, because no being could ever be allowed to feel this good, to witness such an endearing but obscene sight and ever expect anything better to come in the afterlife. But, Keith didn’t care about religion, or heaven and hell, or any of that kind of stuff. All Keith cared about, all he could think to process in that moment, were Lance and Shiro, and how absolutely and completely in love he was with the two of them.

They each took one side of his dick, licking and sucking, and making the most _filthy_ wet moaning sounds. When they both got to the top, they would kiss, long and slow, letting their saliva drip over him, and Keith’s dick twitched just at the sight of it. However occasionally they would switch off, one of them sucking slow, and hard on his dick, while the other left kisses on his balls, and it was intoxicating. At first, Keith was frozen in place, so shocked at even the notion of what he was witnessing that he momentarily had an out of body experience. However, that didn’t last very long before Shiro sucked at that sensitive spot right at the base of his dick, and suddenly he was flung back into his body like running into a brick wall, releasing a loud moan at the sudden whiplash of feeling that hit him.

He tried to resist, but found his muscles moving faster than his mind, and he ran his hands through Shiro’s hair, tugging at the short strands as he continued to bob his head over Keith’s dick. Keith wasn’t sure how much longer he could last like this, literally holding on for dear life at this point, but he never wanted it to end. He was staring at the wall trying to think of the most sexuallly unappealing things at this moment: dead puppies, his writing professor, the dumpster behind their apartment, cleaning the bathroom, etc. But he found the attempt futile as the pressure built up in his gut, pressing on his insides and begging for release, and he gritted his teeth as he forced himself to last. Just _anything_ to not let this moment end.

Lance must’ve noticed because he pulled away and slowly crawled up towards Keith on the bed, Shiro only glancing at him curiously but not slowing down. Keith eyed him warily, worried about what the notoriously mischievous boy was planning. But, Lance just offered him a gentle smile before he leaned in next to his ear and whispered.

“Come for me, _Keith._ ”

The words crashed over him like the roaring waves of an ocean, pounding against sharp and jagged rocks as he came with all the force of a tsunami. He knew he screamed but he couldn’t remember what from the sharp ringing in his ears, the blood rushing in his head muffling any sound around him. His vision went white, his skin shivered, and his muscles tensed up, and he had never come so hard in his life and it had only been _oral_.

Lying there in Lance’s arms with Shiro’s mouth around his dick as he came down from his high, the two holding him through his orgasm, he knew that Shiro and Lance were going to be the literal death of him, but he would love every second of it.

* * *

 “Eggs, milk, bread, sausage, meatballs, ass- Lance!” Keith exclaimed, looking up from the list and turning over his gaze to said offender. Lance stared back with his classic shit-eating grin.

“Yes?” He responded, exaggerating on the innocence and making Keith grind his teeth.

“Really? You had to defile the shopping list?” Keith wondered out loud in exasperation, as he pushed the shopping cart further down the aisle. Shiro only briefly glanced back at them from the shelves he was perusing at the sound of their bickering, but lost interest quickly. He was used to this by now.

“It’s not defiled unless you say it in a sexy tone.” Lance explained, a little too seriously for the connotation, and Keith involuntarily rolled his eyes.

“Guys, we’re in public.” Shiro reminded them, his dad voice activated. That was apparently enough to cause an intervention by him.

“Why are you so horny all the time?” Keith asked instead, ignoring the suggestion. Shiro only sighed in disappointment as he picked up a package of bread and placed it in the cart. “You always have to make everything sexual.”

“Uh, I don’t know, maybe because you guys have been denying my sexual advances for years? I have a lot of pent up sexual frustration, okay.” Lance explained, very matter of factly as Keith pushed the shopping cart forward after Shiro.

“It’s been six months.” Keith deadpanned. “And I can personally attest that you have gotten plenty of sexual attention during that time. More than most.”

The trio were on one of their weekly grocery trips. Or, it was supposed to be weekly, but due to classes and busy schedules it was usually more like every two or three weeks and after a lot of prodding by Shiro. Still, other than sex, random dates, and sacred movie nights, it was one of the only moments where the three of them got to spend quality time together, and they cherished it more than they would admit out loud. Even their sleeping schedules didn’t always line up with Shiro’s new job and Lance’s constant sleepovers at Hunk and Pidge’s apartment. The trips were a routine, but they were a good one, one that Keith wouldn’t give up for the world. He always pushed the shopping cart, telling Shiro what to grab from the list laid out on the seat in front of him, and Lance just walked alongside them and talked non stop like usual.

“I know, this trio thing is literally the best relationship of my life.” Lance began. “Since there’s two of you, there’s always at least one of you that’s willing to have sex with me. It’s great. Everyone should do it, honestly.”

Keith and Shiro froze in their movements, both turning to him with disapproving eyes. “And I love you guys, obviously.” He tacked on. They both scowled slightly, but decided it was good enough to return to their activities.

“There’s no way there’s always one of us willing to have sex with you.” Keith scoffed after he had processed the words. “It would take a small army to keep up with all your sexual needs.”

“Guys,” Shiro pleaded again, as they turned into a new aisle and spotted a couple standing a the other end of it. Of course, the boys ignored him.

“Well, you’re a little bit more difficult because you have to be in certain moods or you’ll literally rip my dick off if I even imply it.” Lance explained, and Keith opened his mouth to deny the claim but was interrupted when he continued. “Shiro, on the other hand…” He trailed off, that smirk back on his face.

“What’s that supposed to mean?” And now Shiro was involved, and Lance’s smile was so wide he looked like he had just beat his high score on Killbot Phantasm 1. Keith wasn’t sure if they had heard the conversation or not, but the couple chose that moment to leave the aisle.

“Well, let’s just say, once you know your weakness, it’s super easy to get you into bed.” he suggested, and Keith swore that if he squinted, he could see Shiro’s soul leaving his body at the words.

“Are you talking about the daddy thing? Because that got old fast.” Keith asked, unimpressed. Once they found out about Shiro’s daddy kink, courtesy of one Lance Espinosa, the sex had definitely gotten much kinkier compared to the original vanilla sex they were having before Lance. While it still had a place in bed, using the word against Shiro in public places only lasted for about a month before he managed to develop a stone cold resistance to it, so Keith wasn’t sure what Lance was getting at.

“No, actually, I made a new discovery the other day.” Lance announced, and Keith could physically see Shiro’s face fall as whatever Lance was talking about clicked in his mind.

“Please, Lance. No.” Shiro begged, clutching a forgotten package of coffee in his hands like a stress ball. Keith raised his eyebrow at the two, now suddenly intrigued.

Lance sent him a grin that said _“watch this”_ that Keith was all to familiar with by now, before walking over to Shiro and leaning in next to his ear. Shiro clutched the bag harder, surprisingly not causing it to rip, and his eyebrows furrowed in anticipation as Lance whispered just loud enough for Keith to hear but in that dirty tone he reserved only for sex.

“Quiero te dentro de mi, _papi_.”

Keith tried to stuffle his laugh as he watched the flush that curled up Shiro’s neck, shocked at how weak this grown ass man was. “You have a Spanish kink too, Shiro?” Keith’s laugh escaped in the form of an unattractive sputter however when Shiro began to lower the bag to hide the embarrassment sprouting up between his legs.

“Hey, don’t laugh mcmullet. You have your things, too.” Lance countered, turning his attention to him and leaving poor Shiro hot and horny and unattended.

“As if.” Keith scoffed, pushing the shopping cart in the other direction implying that he was done with the conversation. Lance just followed next to him completely undeterred. And who knows how Shiro was holding up, once again the innocent victim of their hopeless bickering.

“It’s not sexual, but you like hearing certain things too.” Lance claimed, and Keith looked at him in disbelief. Keith was usually pretty stubborn, so it was hard to believe that just a couple of Lance’s sweet words whispered to him could sway his emotions.

“Like, whenever you need encouragement or are just feeling down, I call you samurai. It makes your eyes sparkle and you feel better about yourself.” Lance explained, and Keith stuttered slightly, not expecting something so genuine.

“That’s just because I like that nickname, unlike all the other ones.” Keith managed to recover enough to rebuttal, but Lance’s words still sat heavy in his mind. He didn’t realize Lance paid attention to his emotions so much, or could read him so easily.

“That’s not true. You’ll never admit to it, but I know you love it when I call you princess during sex.” Lance said. “In an endearing way though, not sexually.”

“I literally hate it when you call me that.” Keith bit back, glaring daggers at him.

“See, that’s the thing. It’s only during sex.” He continued. “In any other situation, you just get really mad.”

Keith shot him another glare, gripping the handle of the shopping cart in frustration before pushing it forward again. Well, half of that statement was true at least, because Keith was fucking pissed now.

“But that’s not your favorite one.” Lance pointed out, and Keith gulped, his anger subsiding as it clicked in his mind exactly which one he was referring to.

“And what’s that?” Keith indulged, even though his voice wavered slightly in worry at whatever Lance had up his sleeve this time.

“Whenever I want to get you into a romantic mood, not sex but like slow kisses and couch cuddles,” Lance began, and his voice dropped slightly as he took a step into Keith’s personal space. His grip on the shopping cart loosened as Lance cupped one of his cheeks, his thumb brushing his cheekbone as he stared up into those wild ocean eyes. “I just have to call you my starboy.”

Keith’s heart melted on the spot, his body shivering as his skin erupted in goosebumps. The power that word had over him, the power that _Lance_ had over him, and how he could make him feel like this so easily. It was enticing, making Keith feel completely powerless over his own heart, but he trusted Lance with it more than he did himself. He bit his lips, the sudden urge to get closer encompassing him, and he rocked forward onto the balls of his feet in an attempt. He didn’t miss the slight smirk on Lance’s face at the gesture, but he didn’t care if he was indulging in Lance’s dumb game or not. In that moment he wanted, more than anything, to just kiss the stupid grin off his his beautiful tan, freckled face. For a moment, Keith thought he would give in, Lance leaning further down until their lips were only an inch apart, his warm breath tickling his face-

“Um, guys.” Shiro interrupted from a million miles away, and the boys pulled apart slightly to turn and look at him. “You guys really can not start making out in the middle of the grocery store or I really am going to bust a nut.”

Keith snorted when he remembered Shiro’s predicament, and couldn’t help but straight out laugh when he noticed that the one coffee bag had been joined by another to help hide Shiro’s very big dilemma.

“Don’t worry,” Lance assured, taking both of their hands and dragging them down the aisle in the opposite direction, the shopping cart abandoned behind them. “This place has a bathroom.”

Keith almost groaned a complaint about how the workers here were going to notice eventually that they kept doing this, but he bit his tongue. He still really wanted to kiss Lance. So he took Shiro’s hand after forcing him to put back the coffee bags and followed his other boyfriend into the super tiny and cramped public bathroom that he was becoming all too familiar with, not being able to bring himself to regret falling in love with the two biggest idiots in the universe.

**Author's Note:**

> Title from Ocean Eyes by Billie Eilish. It's my head cannon Lance song and you should go give it a listen if you want to cry :,,,)


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